Rangers storm Akure to revive season’s ticket
As the chase for 2022/2023 NPFL Abridge season’s ending Super-Six championship hots up, the ‘Flying Antelopes’, Rangers International F.C will this weekend trade tackles with host, Sunshine Stars F.C of Akure with the sole plot of dimming the shine of the Stars by annexing all three points at stake and move up on the Group B log.
The match day 13 fixture will happen at the Akure Township Stadium, on Sunday, April 9, 2023 (Easter Sunday) with kickoff fixed for 4.00 pm.
In an exclusive chat, the technical adviser for Rangers, coach Abdul Maikaba said that his team was in shape to nip the three points at stake to ensure that the club’s targets are realized at the end of the season.
“Sure, no two matches are the same but I strongly believe that we shall emerge victorious in the game against Sunshine Stars. I know that they made some mid-season recruitments and have been doing well since the start of the season including snatching a draw in our home fixture, but we are determined to get the result we desire,” said the vastly experienced gaffer.
Maikaba further said, “In our first meeting, it ended in a 1-1 draw with a late penalty kick lost but we are focused on playing our game on a very good pitch to achieve the result we need for a push-up on the league table.”
Recall that in the reverse fixture, the encounter ended in a score draw as the Akure boys did not yield much ground to pressure from the home side in a match played inside Awka City Stadium in a match day 3 encounter with the goalkeeper, Mustapha Lawal being the reason for the ‘Owena Waves’ having a share of the spoils with some superlative saves that includes a late penalty kick.
Rangers are currently placed 7th on the Group B log with 13 points from 12 matches while the Akure side, under Coach Edith Agoye are occupying the 6th spot with 17 points from 11 matches.
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Coming off the 1-1 draw in Awka to table-topping, Lobi Stars, the ‘Flying Antelopes’ look poised to nip the three points at stake to bridge the gap between it and the pacesetters.
Going by both clubs’ form in the last five matches they have a solitary win, two draws, and losses for the ‘Flying Antelopes’, Rangers International F.C and two wins and drawn matches with a solitary loss for the ‘Owena Waves’, Sunshine Stars, the die is cast for this 31st cumulative encounter between both sides with Rangers having a slight edge of twelve wins as against Sunshine’ nine while nine fixtures have ended in draws in thirty already played.
NORBERT OKOLIE