Management and coaches of the ‘Flying Antelopes’, Rangers International F.C, have put all strategic plans in motion to ensure the team returns to its winning ways as the 2023/2024 NPFL season enters its match day 14 with the expected visit of premiership new boys, Sporting Lagos F.C to the Awka City Stadium, Awka, Anambra state.
The encounter which is slated for Sunday, December 17, 2023, with kickoff fixed for 4:00 pm, will see the coach Fidelis Ilechukwu tutored side get back on the fine form with which they started the season and come out of the three-match losing streak.
With the full return to training of the likes of Kalu Nweke, Austin Onyemaechi, Austin Opara after some weeks out injured, as well as the return to fitness of players like Barnabas Ingya, Leonard Ugochukwu, Ifeanyi Ogba, and Philip Clement, the coaching crew is surely, spoilt for choices that will put smiles back of the faces of the club’s teaming supporters.
With only one point separating both sides going into this first fixture between them with the visitors occupying the 10th spot on the log as against the 13th position currently held by the ‘Flying Antelopes’, returning midfield maestro, Kalu Nweke is optimistic of picking all three points at stake in this fixture that will see the third most potent attacking team, Rangers, seek to break through the fourth meanest defense line, Sporting Lagos.
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“I feel good and excited to be back in the team after over one month out due to injury. My expectation in the encounter against Sporting Lagos is to pick the maximum points at stake to put us back on winning ways. I am motivated by the caliber of players in the team and hope to be at my very best to defend the badge of Rangers. The three points are what matters now and the quality sessions we have gone through after our last match will put us on track for the needed result. I have no fear that come tomorrow at the Awka City Stadium, we are going to win,” said Nweke who scored Rangers’ opening goal of the season.
Coach Fidelis Ilechukwu who seems to have found the winning option in the early stages of the season will be looking to make some surgical changes with the return of some of his best legs from injury as he navigates his squad back to winning ways as the agile duo of Japhet Opubo and Detan Ogundare are available for selection for a place between the sticks just as the middle of the pack may witness some changes with the expected return of Kalu Nweke and Austin Onyemaechi with the front line expectedly to be led by the likes of Godwin Obaje, Jonas Emmanuel, and Okorie Chiedozie to search for the needed goals.
Coach Paul Offor of Sporting Lagos would be counting on the experiences of Junior Lokosa, Jonathan Alukwu, and Godwin Udoh to pry open the backline of Rangers while relying on the sharp reflexes of Christian Nwoke or Agbor Ekoi between the sticks just as he will be counting on the defensive acumen of Chiemeka Nwokeji, Onyeka Ojieh, Abiodun Balogun, Patrick Egeonu, and Ekene Olisema to stop the rampaging forwards that will be unleashed on them by coach Fidelis Ilechukwu just as the trio of Vincent Akpikpi, Rivio Ayemwenre, and Emmanuel Odafi would have to work themselves out in the middle of the pack.