A cross-section of football enthusiasts in Enugu on Monday lauded Rangers International Football Club over their 2-1 victory over hosts Bantu FC of Lesotho on Sunday in Maseru.
The football enthusiasts, while saying the club have shown they are a force to reckon with in continental football, however warned the players against complacency in the reverse fixture.
Christian Chukwu, a former captain and later coach of the club, told the News Agency of Nigeria that the club deserved accolades for their doggedness in the competition so far.
Now the club’s Technical Director, Chukwu added that the club had shown that they were ready for the group stage of the competition by beating Bantu FC in Lesotho.
Adding his voice, Rangers’ Media Officer Norbert Okolie expressed joy at the victory and called for the players to keep up their good work.
Okolie noted: “The spirit of champions’’ was leading the club all the way in the competition.
“There is no much change in the club as most the players that won the Aiteo Cup in Asaba were retained.
“Though we are celebrating the victory, but the players should know however that the battle is not yet over.
“We are expecting Bantu FC to be thrashed in the return leg coming up in Enugu on Sunday.”
Speaking also, the Secretary of Enugu State Chapter of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, Ignatius Okpara, said Rangers did what all expected of them.
Okpara said: “All we want is victory in the second leg to guarantee them passage to the group stage.”
Okpara recalled that the club’s Technical Adviser, Olugbenga Ogunbote, had promised that the club would do all in its capacity to restore the country’s lost slot in the competition.
NAN reports that Nigeria used to have two slots in terms of club representation in the competition, but lost one slot in 2018 following a below-par performance by its clubs.
The Enugu State SWAN secretary advised the club to be focussed in the reverse fixture to avoid ending up with regrets.
He added: “All the teams at this stage of the competition are all equal and good enough to reach the group stage. So, Rangers must be wary of their opponents.”
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