NPFL: How Shooting Stars wrestled Rangers in Akwa
Hopes of Rangers International F.C’ featuring in next season’s CAF club competition suffered a little hitch, Saturday, July 2, 2022, as they were pegged back by age-long rivals, 3SC who rallied from a two goals deficit to earn a 2-2 draw in a re-arranged match day 36, NPFL 2021/2022 fixture in Awka.
Coach Abdul Maikaba kept faith with the squad that narrowly lost to Kano Pillars last week except for the returning duo of Elijah Ani and Ossy Martins as the players did not keep anybody in doubt of their intentions to carry the day.
Rangers quickly took the fight to the half of the visiting ‘Oluyole Warriors’ with Chidiebere Nwobodo, Elijah Ani, Eso Achibong, and Ossy Martins pulling the strings but quality defending from the visitors’ backline ably led by Uche Ezema and some poor coordination in the third half combined to rob the game of goals in the first stanza, especially for the host.
However, two goals in the opening ten minutes of the second stanza, first, a connecting header from Shedrack Asiegbu to nod past the goalkeeper an inviting cross from enterprising, Chidiebere Nwobodo on 46 minutes while Asiegbu returned the favor at 55 minutes for a simple finish by Nwobodo off a cross from Kenechukwu Agu.
As the game crept past the hour mark, coach Edith Agoye of 3SC threw in the trio of Moses Omoduemouke, Lucky Emmanuel, and Rasheed Quadry and it turned out to be an inspired substitution as they helped to push back the host and were rewarded on 74 minutes when Moses turned into an empty net a Chidera Ezeh’ cross while some questionable defending presented another opportunity to Moses on 89 minutes and he grabbed it with both hands to stab home the equalizer to elicit celebrations from the few traveling benches.
Chinonso Eziekwe was presented with a golden opportunity a few minutes into time added-on but his effort was smothered by the agile goalie for the visitors, Dede Dare.
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Coach Abdul Maikaba of Rangers said after the encounter, “This was a game we had under control and showed intentions to get the three points at stake but somehow, we gave away two cheap goals. That is football for you—a big lesson for us today. Loss of concentration denied us the three points we really worked for in this match. We keep hopes alive, depending on the results from Sunday games, as there are still two more matches to the end of the season.”
With the result, Rangers remain in 4th position with 53 points from 36 matches and will next make a trip to Gombe for a match day 37 fixture on Sunday, July 10, 2022.
RANGERS TEAM: Bamidele Adeniyi, Tope Olusesi, Bala Akintunde, Olawale Doyeni, David Chimezie, Kenechukwu Agu, Shedrack Asiegbu (Ugochukwu Ugwuoke -78th Min.), Eso Achibong (Samuel Pam -75th Min.), Elijah Ani (Chinonso Eziekwe -75th Min.), Chidiebere Nwobodo, Ossy Martins (Christian Nnaji -62 Min.). UNUSED SUBS: Seidu Mutawakilu, Uche John, Julius Ikechukwu, Ifeanyi Nweke, Tofic Omar.
GOALS: Shedrack Asiegbu -46th Min., Chidiebere Nwobodo – 55th Min.