The atmosphere in Enugu today crackled with the fervent energy only an Oriental Derby can produce. Our beloved Rangers International FC, the reigning champions, stepped onto the pitch brimming with the hopes and unwavering support of their faithful legions. But alas, football, in its cruel and unpredictable nature, delivered a bitter pill as Enyimba FC, with what can only be described as a fortunate first-half showing, snatched all three points in this Match Day 35 encounter of the NPFL 2024/2025 season.
While the final whistle blew to the muted sighs of the home crowd, let us not dwell solely on the result achieved by our rivals. The truth, as any true Rangers supporter who witnessed the game will attest, is that the scoreline hardly reflected the tale of two halves.
The opening stanza saw the Aba side, against the run of play, capitalize on a free kick that somehow evaded our solid wall and nestled into the net on 20 minutes, courtesy of Innocent Gabriel.
Just six minutes later, a momentary lapse in our usually impenetrable defense allowed Ekene Awazie to double their lead. It was a period where luck seemed to abandon the Flying Antelopes, and every bounce of the ball favored the visitors.
But the spirit of Rangers is not so easily extinguished! The introduction of Timothy Atamamwan and the electrifying Chiedozie Okorie in the second half ignited a fire in our team that the Enyimba defense could barely contain.
Wave after wave of relentless attacks crashed against their backline, each move orchestrated with the passion and skill we have come to expect from the players.
The stadium erupted in a thunderous roar on 66 minutes when the tireless Isaac Saviour delivered a pin-point free kick, finding the head of substitute Okorie Chiedozie at the far post. The deficit was halved, and the momentum had decisively swung in favor of our Coal City Warriors.
The remaining minutes were a testament to the unwavering spirit of Rangers. We created chance after glorious chance, each one met with desperate blocks and last-ditch clearances from a visibly rattled Enyimba defense. It simply wasn’t to be our day in front of goal, as fate seemed determined to deny us the equalizer, let alone the winner we so richly deserved.
Even our astute coach, Fidelis Ilechukwu, acknowledged the injustice of the result in his post-match comments. “It was not the result we wanted, but football showed itself again today. We had a bad first half where we let in two goals but came back stronger in the second stanza, got a goal back but failed to convert more chances that were created. It’s a painful loss, and we grieve over the loss.”
While this defeat stings, leaving us in 8th position with 49 points, the fight is far from over! Our focus now shifts to the prestigious President Federation Cup, where a quarter-final clash against Plateau United awaits the team next weekend in Abuja.
This presents a golden opportunity for our resilient Rangers to bounce back and secure a coveted spot in continental football next season.
CREDIT: R.I.F.C.E Media Team