Rangers urges time change in CAF group fixtures

Rangers International FC of Enugu has appealed to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for a change of time fixed for the group matches scheduled to kick off on December 1.

The Media Officer of the club, Norbert Okoli, made the appeal in a statement issued on Saturday in Enugu.
Okoli stated that the General Manager of the club, Davidson Owumi, had dispatched a letter of appeal to the African football-ruling body through the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
He quoted the Owumi as saying: “We understand and appreciate the fact that CAF reserves the right to fix time for matches from the group stage of the club competition.
“But we find it extremely difficult to factor in the 14:00 hours (2 p.m.) time it has picked for us due largely to the humidity of the season.
“Playing our scheduled matches at the time fixed will lead to loss of revenue and punishment for the players who are the main actors on the pitch.”
Owumi was quoted to have also said that spectators “would be sun-baked, if they turn up for the matches, with temperature reaching as high as 40 degree centigrade in an artificial turf.’’
Okoli said that for fair play to be seen to be practised, the management had appealed to the relevant body (CAF) “to positively look into the appeal and revert to the normal 16:00 hours (4 p.m.)
“Fans of the club have come to know 4 p.m. as kickoff time for matches and for the health of the footballers and spectators,’’ he said.

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News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Rangers will be host to Egyptian side, Pyramid, on Sunday, December 1, in the first game of the CAF Confederations Cup group stage at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu.