Rangers leave for Togo

Nigeria’s second representative in the on-going CAF Confederation Cup, Enugu Rangers are expected in Lagos today en route Lome, where they will take on Togo’s Association Sportive des Conducteurs de Kara (ASCK) in the last qualifying round for the group stage of the competition.

Nigeria’s other team in the competition, Enyimba of Aba, will host South Africa’s TS Galaxy on Sunday.

Enugu Rangers will travel to Togo this evening aboard an Askya flight from Lagos.

According to the Flying Antelopes, the 26-man delegation are expected to depart Enugu this morning to connect a flight from Lagos to the Togolese capital for the match slated for Sunday.

ASCK dropped to the Confederation Cup after failing to make the grades in the CAF Champions League. They are Togo’s reigning champions and have the reputation of being a rad nut to crack.

In the CAF Champions League, they played four matches, won one, lost one and drew two, scoring two goals and conceding two.

The team provided seven players to the Togolese CHAN team that stopped Nigeria from qualifying for next year’s tournament in Cameroun.

But Rangers say such statistics would count for nothing in this game.

Rangers’ Head Coach, Benedict Ugwu believes his wards will come out unscathed from the first leg of the fixture scheduled for Stade de Kegue, Lome.

He said: “We are going there (Lome) to battle. A battle we must succeed, I hope.

“They are a good side and we expect a good fight from them, but we are prepared for them and we are going to face the fight as we see it there.

“Their players may dominate Togo’s CHAN team, but we also had our own contribution to our national team. We are not scared of that feat by our opponent. We are relaxed and confident that we shall come out with a good result.”

Ugwu described Togo as a familiar terrain, saying, “This is my fourth time of going to Togo to play. I went
with Rangers as a player and we won 1-0, next was with the senior national team and it ended in a draw. Then I went with BCC Lions of Gboko and we won and now I am going as a coach, I know that by the special grace of God, I will come out victorious.”

Among the players in the Rangers’ party are Ikechukwu Ibenegbu, Uche John and Ugwu Uwadiegwu, Tony Shimaga, Ibrahim Olawoyin, Eziekwe Chinonso, Agu Kenechukwu and Nnamdi Egbujuo.

The first leg match will be handled by Senegalese arbiters, led by Daouda Gueye at the centre.

The return leg will hold at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium on November 3, 2019.