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Enugu Rangers: From relegation woes to title contenders

Enugu Rangers: From relegation woes to title contenders

The history of Rangers International Football Club of Enugu is laden with triumphs and near catastrophic patches.

The early chapters portray a club that was invincible, resilient, courageous and all-conquering. Rangers rose from the ashes of the civil war and became the symbol of a people who needed an identity. The club won many national titles and cup triumphs. Soon after inauguration in 1970, Rangers won the national league and qualified to represent Nigeria in the Sekou Toure Cup, now CAF Champions League. Inexperience and amateurism robbed the youthful club from carting away their maiden continental trophy in their first foray in the continent. Rangers lost in the quarterfinal rounds, 0–3 on aggregate to ASEC Mimosas.

For more than a decade, Rangers formed part of the dominant triumvirate of Nigerian football; the others being IICC Shooting Stars of Ibadan and Bendel Insurance FC of Benin. Enugu Rangers have won the Nigerian Premier League seven times, in 1974, 1975, 1977, 1981, 1982, 1984, and 2016.

There were other notable clubs like Mighty Jets of Jos, Water Corporation of Ibadan, Vasco da Gama of Enugu, Racca Rovers of Kano, Sharks of Port Harcourt, Rovers of Calabar, Abiola Babes of Abeokuta but the big three were colossal.

The introduction of professional football (or a semblance of it) in1990 witnessed a new era when relatively ‘younger’ clubs turned the table against the traditional powerhouses of Nigerian football. The emergence of clubs like Iwuanyanwu Nationale, formerly Spartans of Owerri, Enyimba Football Club of Aba, Lobi Stars of Makurdi and others changed the Nigerian football space.

Since 2016 when they won their last league title, the Enugu-based outfit have been tottering in the league, galloping . Their poor run was punctuated in 2018 when they won the NFF/AITEO Federation Cup. Rangers stunned Kano Pillars, coming back from a 3–0 deficit to win the trophy on penalties.

Before the end of last season, the Flying Antelopes escaped relegation by the whiskers.

The 2023/24 NPFL season has seen Rangers in top form, picking a lot of away points. In the first stanza of the league the Flying Antelopes had a few problems winning games, and found it difficult in putting the ball at the back of the net. However, after the Christmas break and the resumption of the league in February, Fidelis Ilechukwu’s boys picked up momentum and form and went on a 10 game unbeaten run that saw them defeat the likes of title hopefuls Lobi Stars, relegation threatened Heartland to move from mid-table to the top of the league, and they are now genuine contenders for the 2023-24 Nigeria Premier Football League title.

On assumption as coach of Rangers, Fidelis Ilechukwu promised to return the club to winning ways, Famous for building the defunct MFM Football Club of Lagos from scratch to qualification for a continental ticket in their first season in the NPFL, Ilechukwu has been able to work the talk with Rangers. He replaced coach Abdul Maikaba who departed the position at the end of last season. Before Fidelis Ilechukwu became the coach of Enugu Rangers, he spent two years as the manager of Plateau United which he helped to finish second in the NPFL in the 2021-2022 season.

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Arsenal’s attempt to sign Ollie Watkins failed after Al Nassr’s decision to snub Boniface

Ollie Watkins

Arsenal’s bid to sign Ollie Watkins from Aston Villa was impacted by Al Nassr’s decision to pursue a transfer for Jhon Duran instead of Victor Boniface.

Despite significant injuries to key players Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus, Arsenal failed to add a forward during the winter transfer window. Mikel Arteta had hoped to bolster his attacking options, with Watkins a potential target.

Discussions between Villa and Arsenal began after their Premier League clash on January 18, with Villa looking to sell one of Watkins or Duran due to manager Unai Emery’s difficulty in fitting both strikers into his starting lineup. Villa had been in talks with Al Nassr over a transfer for Duran and were willing to sell Watkins for £60 million.

Watkins, a boyhood Arsenal fan, was eager for the move, and the Gunners submitted an opening bid of £40 million on January 27, which was promptly rejected. Arsenal planned to make a second offer, but Al Nassr’s decision to focus on Duran over Boniface meant that the potential transfer of Watkins to Arsenal was no longer possible.

With the transfer window now closed, Arteta is left with Kai Havertz as his only forward option for the remainder of the season.

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Jose Fonte criticizes Chelsea for missing out on Osimhen

'He Can Only Leave For €75m' - Napoli Reject Official Bid For Victor Osimhen 

Former West Ham and Southampton defender Jose Fonte has voiced his disappointment over Chelsea’s failure to secure Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen during the January transfer window.

Despite being linked to the Blues since last summer, Osimhen opted for a season-long loan move to Galatasaray from Napoli.

Fonte compared Osimhen to Chelsea legend Didier Drogba, believing the striker could have replicated Drogba’s success at Stamford Bridge:

“Chelsea are crying out for a striker like Victor Osimhen. He could be another Didier Drogba for them. He has pace, power, and technical quality.”

The defender, who faced Osimhen in the Champions League, described the Nigerian international as a “nightmare” for defenders:

“Once Osimhen gets into the Premier League, I think he will bully defenders. He’s aggressive, fast, clever, and powerful.”

Fonte expressed surprise that no Premier League club secured Osimhen’s signature, labeling it a “foolish” decision given his immense potential.

Chelsea’s ongoing search for a clinical striker continues to be a point of concern, with many fans and pundits echoing Fonte’s sentiments.

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Ancelotti confirms Mbappé, Bellingham, and Alaba out for Copa del Rey clash against Leganes

Madrid ‘lacked courage’ against City, says Ancelotti before rematch

Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that Kylian Mbappé will miss Real Madrid’s upcoming Copa del Rey quarter-final against Leganes due to a bruised calf. Mbappé was injured in the weekend’s 1-0 La Liga defeat to Espanyol after a reckless challenge from Carlos Romero, who avoided a red card. The French striker trained on Monday but will not feature in Wednesday’s match.

Ancelotti also took the opportunity to continue his criticism of Spanish refereeing. Real Madrid sent a formal letter to the Spanish football federation accusing the refereeing system of being “rigged” and “completely discredited” after Romero’s challenge.

The Madrid boss reiterated his stance, emphasizing the need for an explanation regarding the failure to protect players’ welfare during the match.

In addition to Mbappé’s absence, Ancelotti confirmed that Jude Bellingham will also miss the Leganes game with a knock. The manager also announced that David Alaba, who recently returned from a knee injury, will be sidelined for 2-3 weeks with a thigh injury.

Alaba will miss crucial fixtures, including the La Liga derby against Atletico Madrid and the Champions League play-off clash against Manchester City.

Antonio Rudiger is another doubt for the Leganes clash due to a thigh injury, leaving Real Madrid short on defensive options. With Eder Militao and Dani Carvajal already long-term absentees, Ancelotti may have to rely on Raul Asencio and Aurelien Tchouameni as center-back partners for the upcoming matches.

Ancelotti acknowledged the difficulty of the current injury crisis, stating: “Unfortunately in the last two days we’ve lost two important players, that’s something we did not contemplate… Alaba was ready to play tomorrow, as he had good feelings.

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