Oriental Derby: Rangers suffer 2-1 defeat to Enyimba

Rangers International Football Club of Enugu endured a disappointing 2-1 loss to Enyimba FC of Aba in a thrilling local derby on Sunday. 

This defeat marks the sixth time Rangers have failed to secure points at home in the ongoing 2024/2025 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season.

The match saw Rangers struggle from the outset, as Enyimba capitalized early. The visitors were on the front foot throughout the first half, taking a 2-0 lead within the opening 29 minutes.

Rangers’ only goal came in the 60th minute when substitute Chidiebre Onyia, wearing jersey No. 31, pulled one back for the hosts. Despite their best efforts in the second half, Rangers failed to equalize and squandered several scoring opportunities.

As a result of the win, Enyimba moved up to 5th place on the league table with 52 points, while Rangers, previously in 6th, dropped to 8th.

Enyimba’s head coach, Stanley Iguma, expressed his satisfaction with the victory, particularly with his team’s performance in the first half. “We outplayed Rangers in the first half,” he said, acknowledging Rangers’ strong response in the second half. “Rangers came out strong in the second half,” Iguma added.

On the other hand, Rangers’ Technical Adviser, Fidelis Ilechukwu, attributed the defeat to injuries affecting some of his key players and other challenges the team is currently facing.

Rangers’ captain, Chinemerem Ugwueze, expressed regret over the loss, saying, “Before we came into the game, we were already two goals down.”