2024/2025 CAF Champions League: Rangers International FC earns vital win over Sagrada

Posted : 14 September 2024

Nigeria's reigning league champions, Rangers International F.C., continued their pursuit of a place in the group stage of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League 2024/2025 with a 1-0 win over Angola's vice-champions of the Girabola, G.D. Sagrada Esperança, in the first leg of the second preliminary round of the premier continental club competition.

Kazeem Ogunleye’s 78th-minute strike proved to be the match-winner after his fierce shot with his weaker foot found its way past Leonardo Mutunda, who was spectacular between the sticks for the visiting side and proved a hard nut to crack for Coach Fidelis Ilechukwu's team.

Coach Ilechukwu started the quartet of Bashir Usman, Ikenna Stephen, Anayor Ogbonna, and Ekeson Okorie while sticking with other starters from the earlier round of the competition, with Isaac Saviour, Agu Kenechukwu, and Ugochukwu Ejike preferred in the middle of the pack, and the usual backline providing cover for short-stopper Japhet Opubo.

Ekeson Okorie was quickly set up for an early goal run by a defense-splitting pass from Isaac Saviour after the host kicked off the encounter, which was watched by an appreciative crowd. However, the fleet-footed attacking midfielder missed the opportunity in the 2nd minute.

The visitors relied mostly on counter-attacking moves, with Felisberto Sebastiao and the diminutive Filipe Pimpao causing some anxious moments for the home side. However, goalkeeper and skipper of the home side, Japhet Opubo, showed class between the sticks to keep a clean sheet as both sides retired to the dressing room on even terms.

At the start of the second half, Chiedozie Okorie came in for Ekeson Okorie, which helped push the visitors into their defensive shells. Further substitutions, including the introduction of Chinemerem Ugwueze, Kazeem Ogunleye, and Onyekachi Okafor, brought more attacking moves for the Ilechukwu-led side. In one of his runs, Kazeem Ogunleye escaped several tackling legs to blast the ball into the net, scoring what turned out to be the match-winner and sending the fans into celebration.

Three minutes into added time, Japhet Opubo made himself big enough to deny Felisberto Sebastiao a golden opportunity to level the score.

Coach Fidelis Ilechukwu, in his post-match comments, said, “It was a game we planned very well, but I am a bit disappointed with how the players approached the match from the beginning. We missed many chances, but we hope not to put the players under more pressure. We need to encourage them because this game is delicately poised. We are happy to have won with a solitary goal and hopefully, we will get our acts right in Luanda and need to score. Anything is possible. The visitors are a good side as they tried to neutralize us in the second half. It is clear that they have players who can give us problems, but we equally have what it takes to wrap up the contest in Luanda, Angola.”

Captain of the side, Chinemerem Ugwueze, said, “It was not all rosy for us today. It was a pressure game, but we were able to secure the vital win. For the return leg, we are very positive and confident in ourselves, though we know it won’t be an easy match.”

Rangers will next week, on Sunday, September 22, face the Angolan side in the return leg scheduled for 11 de Novembro Stadium, Luanda, Angola.

2024/2025 CAF Champions League: Rangers International FC earns vital win over Sagrada

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