As the Friday, September 13, 2024 dates for the first leg, second preliminary round of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League fixture between Nigeria’s League Champions, Rangers International F.C and Angolan league runner-up, G.D Sagrada Esperanca draws close, the ‘Flying Antelopes’ have intensified its preparations for the encounter fixed for Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo.
Under the watch of coach Godwin Nosike and other lieutenants of coach Fidelis Ilechukwu who is on national duties with the senior male national football team, the Super Eagles, for AFCON 2025 qualifiers, the players have been responding well to drills and are rearing to go and defend the badge of the club and fly the flag of the country very high.
The team which has arrived in Uyo to put finishing touches to its strategy for the encounter whose result will to a large extent position it for a place in the group stage of the premier continental club competition.
In an exclusive chat, defense-marshal, Ifeanyi Onyebuchi, assured the club’s numerous supporters that he and his team mates were positive going into the match which he appreciates will be tough against the visiting Angolan side that overcame Seychelles’ side, 4-0 on aggregate in the first preliminary round.
“We are fully prepared. We have been working hard ahead of this encounter and I believe that by Friday, victory shall be ours by the special grace of God.
We understand the fact that goals win matches especially at this stage of the competition and we have been working very hard at training to ensure that we convert our chances against our opponent who we understand is not a small team just like us.
Going into this fixture, we are confident and have self-belief that we shall secure the group stage ticket after the two legs of this round of the competition,” said the center-back who has the knack for notching goals for the team.
Recall that in the past, Rangers had engaged Angolan sides, six times winning four, drew one and losing once with the 4-0 spanking of Atletico Petroleos de Luanda in a CAF Confederation Cup encounter in 2004 coming tops while in 2013 CAF Champions League, it was a 3-1 aggregate loss to C.R.D Libolo being the only loss for the Coal City side to an Angolan opp
