Ben Ezechime, Enugu
The reigning Nigerian league champions, Rangers International F.C of Enugu, will play no more part in the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League 2024/2025 after a 3-2 aggregate loss to Angola’ G.D Sagrada Esperanca in far away Angola.
The home team defeated the flying Antelopes of Enugu with a 3-1 victory in the second leg, second preliminary round encounter played at Estadio 11 de Novembro, Luanda on Sunday, September 22, 2024.
It would be recalled that Rangers won the first leg in Uyo 1-0.
Report from Rangers media team who were on ground in Angola, said that Coach Ilechukwu made three changes to the squad that earned a 1-0 win over the Angolans in the first leg with Evans Ogbonda taking the place of Kenneth Igboke, Kazeem Ogunleye and Frank Uwumiro taking the places of Bashir Usman and Okorie Ekeson, and it would have been a dream start for the ‘Flying Antelopes’ as Sagrada goal tender had to produce a spectacular reflex save to prevent Kazeem’s well struck free-kick from nestling in the net just two minutes into the encounter.
Four minutes later, the home side went ahead as Alexandre Fernando’s free-kick from a similar distance, bounced off the Rangers wall and sailed past Japhet Opubo to send the large home fans of Sagrada into wild jubilations.
Chances came for the visiting side to draw level on 27 and 30 minutes through Kenechukwu Agu and Kazeem Ogunleye but goalkeeper Leonardo Mutunda was at his best to stop the ball from resting in his net and in a counter-attacking move, Joaquim Teixeira extended the home side’s advantage as he swept in an inviting cross from Fernando on 33 minutes.
Anayor Ogbonna halved the deficit to tie the encounter on 37 minutes after the host’ goalkeeper parried out a Kenechukwu Agu goal bound shot which fell kindly for Ogbonna to stab home and send the large number of Nigerians that came out for the match into celebrations with their metal gongs ringing out great melodies.
Substitute, Filipe Pimpao, benefited from a defensive mix-up by the Rangers backline to stab in the back-breaking goal on 67 minutes as their supporters from Dundo went into celebration mood.
Efforts by the eight times Nigeria champions to push for immediate response which saw two quick double-substitutions did not yield the needed dividends as the host sat back deep to defend the narrow lead that earned them a place in the group stage of the prestigious club competition on the continent.
In a post-match chat, coach Fidelis Ilechukwu said, “It was a painful loss. We created the chances but failed to convert them. My team has been struggling for goals for few weeks now since the start of the new season.
“But I think we met a strong team and they deserve their win. I congratulate them. Sincerely, we believed we could have overcome this huddle but sadly, our continental aspiration is ended here in Angola.
“We have to go back home and continue our league and hopefully we shall return to the continent a better team.”
Rangers will turn its attention to the NPFL now with a rescheduled match day 2 fixture against Ikorodu City F.C taking place on Wednesday, September 25, 2024 at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan, Lagos.
