Rangers stop Sunshine in Enugu, maintain top spot
‘Flying Antelopes’, Rangers International F.C produced one of their finest game of the season but could not put away the avalanche of opportunities created in the 2-0 win over visiting Sunshine Stars F.C of Akure in a match day 28 NPFL 2023/2024 fixture played at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu, Wednesday, April 3, 2024.
Kalu Nweke and Ifeanyi Onyebuchi were the goal scorers for the coach Fidelis Ilechukwu tutored side that has gone ten matches unbeaten in the league and with the result, maintain its stay at the summit of the twenty team log.
READ ALSO: Morocco to build world’s biggest football…
The home side did not hide its desire to carry the day as soon as the referee signaled the start of hostilities as the coach stuck with the starting squad that snatched a road win over Heartland in the last match day except for one player, with Naziru Auwalu taking the place of Zulkifilu Rabiu.
There was a penalty shout as early as the second minute when a Kalu Uche defense splitting pass found Godwin Obaje who dribbled past Chidozie Iwundu only to be tripped by the strayling foot of Love Isaac Emmanuel inside the box but the referee instead awarded a goal kick to the disappointment of the home bench and relief to the visiting bench.
The midfield combination of the quartet of Isaac Saviour, Kazeem Ogunleye, Naziru Auwalu and Ejike Ugochukwu were too much to handle for the visitors rear ably led by 2013 Afcon champion, Godfrey Oboabona, but as much as they tried to break down the resistance of the coach Kennedy Boboye led ‘Owena Whales’, goalkeeper, Ishola Abdulateef, stood like a solid rock as he punched, parried and blocked out almost all that was thrown at him.
With six minutes left in the first half, defense Trojan, Austin Opara set out on a mazy run that saw him ghost past a sea of tackling and challenging legs to find himself in the opponent’s box and at the risk of losing the ball, back heeled the ball to a well-placed Saviour Isaac whose fierce shot was pushed out by the goalkeeper but only as far as the feet of vantage positioned, Kalu Nweke to stab home for the opening goal of the encounter and send the fans into raptures moments.
Defender, Ifeanyi Onyebuchi scored his second of the season and the second goal of the match on 71 minutes when he was allowed much space by the defenders of Sunshine Stars who failed to clear a Nweke Kalu’ corner kick.
Substitute, Chiedozie Okorie had two great opportunities to extend the goals haul for his side but could not make it count just as Godwin Obaje failed to walk home an inviting cross from Saviour Isaac as the referee ended proceedings.
In the post-match chat, coach Fidelis Ilechukwu said, “I think it was a one sided game. We dominated our opponent both in the first and second half. We created a lot of chances but quite unfortunate, we could not take all of them. It is too painful. I am not happy about that. I expected today’s game to end with as much as 5-0 for us but that is football for you. It happens like that sometimes and we keep working on these lapses to ensure we kill off the resistance of opponents when we create the chances.”
With the result, Rangers continue to occupy the prime position on the twenty team log with 51 points from twenty-eight matches and will next travel to Katsina to trade tackles with Katsina United in a match day 29 fixture on Sunday, April 7, 2024.
