Club Owners salute Rangers, lauds LMC, stakeholders

By Daily Sports on October 7, 2016

It is hard to argue that Rangers are not worthy champions of the 2015/16 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) season. Needing just a point in their last fixture of the season, Rangers shook off the challenges of Rivers United, Wikki Tourists, FC Ifeanyiubah and Enyimba to claim a historic league title. It was done in a spectacular manner; classic goals, beautiful and eye-catching attacking football but more than all that, Rangers stood up to their rivals, silencing and getting the better of the title challengers when on head to head.

The title-winning points haul this season is significantly lower than Enyimba's last season but with the manner of their triumph this season, Rangers took care of business, fixing potential pitfalls and leaving their rivals in no doubt as to their intentions. Trips to Heartland and Akwa United which in the past were tricky for Rangers were taken care of. They even got schooled those two opponents in front of home support but more important tests were against the title challengers, those Rangers passed in flying colours.

First up was Enyimba, a side Rangers surrendered four points to in their contests the previous year. The defending champions even started better on the day, dealing a first blow when Imama Amapakabo's creaky defence handed them a first half lead in Enugu. A second nearly followed with Enyimba's Joseph Osadiaye upended in the Flying Antelopes' area. It went unspotted by the officials and that was the platform for a remarkable second half turnaround that saw Rangers beat Enyimba in Enugu for the first time in three seasons. They finished up the job, getting a point in the reverse fixture, as they instantly equalized Stephen Chukwude's strike seconds before half time.

Then came Wikki Tourists, Abdu Makaiba's side had made a promising start to the season and they came to 'The Cathedral' oozing with confidence. Having narrowly missed out on a continental place last year, they were going to go better this term. Leading their attack was Godwin Obaje, a striker who many opposition dressing rooms' tactic boards all across the country had become familiar with. A slim 1-0 scoreline did the trick, and during the title run-in, they went to Bauchi and held off the Tourists in front of their own fans, getting a point at the end of the 90 minutes.

Rivers United posed a different kind of threat. Stanley Eguma recruited a fine blend of experienced and dynamic players. The likes of Chinonso Okonkwo, Markson Ojobo, Idris Aloma and Sunday Rotimi are all league winners in the past while Ivorian Guy Kuemian boasted of CAF Champions League experience, Bernard Ovoke was the joker in the pack. A wave of his magic left boot could produce instant solutions. Their season's start had been ideal too and at their Yakubu Gowon fortress, no opposition player had breached the Festus Austine-led defence.

They were to be the trickiest of the title challengers and while Imama's lads, inexperienced in title-hunting would have to make-up with a football style that produced goals home and away, an unflinching belief in the man in the dugout was sufficient. Rangers avenged a 3-1 thrashing in Port Harcourt with a 4-0 win in the reverse fixture in the title run-in, that strengthened Rangers' resolve in their quest. The penultimate Matchday eventually settled things; Rangers kept up their impressive away form, beating Ikorodu United in Abeokuta while Rivers United's slip at home to Abia Warriors virtually tilted the favourites tag to Rangers.

Rangers have not stumbled upon the league title, they have earned it. They are unarguably the most consistent side in the championship and that is from Matchday 1. They rarely left the top-four all year long and of all the challengers they spent the most time on top of the pile - about 110 days. Not even any of the challengers will feel the Enugu side have not deserved this.

Looking ahead, one would wonder what the tussle will be like next season. But that is a long time away, right now Rangers must bask in the euphoria and glory of this triumph. (npfl.ng)

•Photo shows Rangers champions

Source Daily Sports

Posted October 7, 2016


 

You may also like...
Rojenny Sports Village Set To Collapse Into Anambra...

Anthony Joshua could face Wladimir Klitschko in October...

I want to end my career in England:...

Super Six: Enyimba Spank Akwa United To Win...

Manchester United assistant manager quits

Messi Given Three-Month Suspension for Copa America Comments...

 

Latest News CAF awards: Ajibade, Nnadozie, Edo Queens bag nominations Lagos SWAN, PAACC Hold SWAN Day At Golfview Hotels, Ikeja Crisis looms as Eagles’ form raises AFCON, W’Cup concerns Ex-Nigerian Super Falcons player handcuffed, children assaulted as police storm Anambra Football Academy Sports NFF, teammates console Nwabali on father’s death Abia Govt hails Nigeria Olympic Committee over staging an admin course in Umuahia Libya deliver Eagles 2025 AFCON ticket Eagles battle Cheetahs for 2025 AFCON ticket Yellow Greens gear up for T20 W’Cup qualifiers Tyson tips Fury to beat Joshua Sadiq absent as 22 Eagles train in Abidjan Eagles’ striking trio hot for Cheetahs, Amavubi clashes

 

Most Read Rangers International going, going . . . (55,164 views) Amaju Pinnick: A cat with nine lives (46,308 views) Second Term: Amaju Pinnick, Other NFF Heavyweights Home to Roost •How Pinnick Broke the Jinx (44,370 views) Missing $150,000 IAAF Grant: Solomon Dalung’s Hide and Seek game (44,015 views) Sports Development: Zenith Bank on the zenith (43,949 views) Current issues in Nigerian sports: Matters arising (43,905 views) Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje’s solid footprints, commitment to sports development in Kano State (43,744 views) NFF Presidency: Pinnick, Maigari, Ogunjobi, Okoye in Battle for Supremacy (43,312 views) Olopade, BET9A wave of revolution in NNL (42,366 views) Commonwealth Games 2018: Shame of Muhammadu Buhari, Solomon Dalung (41,054 views) Ibrahimovic’s Man U exit: Whose decision is it? And in whose interest? (39,507 views) John Mikel Obi: Segun Odegbami’s Outrageous Call! (38,932 views)

 

Phone numbers

Tel: +234(0)8066020976
+234(0)8055068145
+234(0)7013416146
+234(0)8094272884

Email addresses

info@dailysportsng.com
support@dailysportsng.com
publisher@dailysportsng.com

Office address

No 3, Adetoun Close, Off College Road, Ogba, Ikeja Lagos.
Website: www.dailysportsng.com

Social Media