Enugu Rangers will today inside the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium, Ndola, attempt to redeem their dented image as they face Zesco United of Zambia in a return leg tie of the CAF Confederation Cup playoffs.
The reigning Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) champions bundled a 2-0 lead {with goals from Osas Okoro} in Enugu, as the Zambians scored two goals in six minutes through Kenya international, David Owino and Patrick Konogolo to level the score.
The Flying Antelopes this time will play without their head coach, Imama Amapakabo, who has been relieved of his appointment by the club management following a spate of poor results.
Rangers’ trip to Zambia too was delayed till yesterday after the players insisted on being paid their travel allowances before embarking on the journey.
The stance of the players was believed to have been a measure to collect their entitlements regardless of the outcome of the game in Ndola, as the team’s hope of qualifying for the group stage of the second tier CAF championship is slim.
However, as the Zambians need a draw or 1-1 draw to scale through, Rangers could also turn the tables against the hosts should they win by any margin or settle for a higher score draw starting from 3-3, on away goal rule.
Rangers’ attacking midfielder, Godwin Aguda, believes they can salvage the situation today in Ndola.
“We will do our job and hope it will be enough to qualify us for the group stage. Zesco were good, but we did not hold on to our lead. We will fight to make it to the group stages,” Aguda had said before team’s departure yesterday at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos.
His team-mate, Christian Madu shared the same belief saying: “We can assure everyone that we will do our best to reverse the first leg disadvantage”.
Rangers, it will be recalled, dropped from the CAF Champions League this year to the Confederation Cup.
Discussion about this post