Rangers General Manager Barrister Amobi Ezeaku has challenged expectations surrounding the club’s return to the CAF Champions League, insisting that merely reaching the group stage should not be considered a successful campaign.
Speaking during the club’s end of season media briefing in Enugu, Ezeaku outlined an ambitious vision for the Nigeria Premier Football League champions as they prepare to represent the country on the continental stage alongside Rivers United.
While many observers have suggested that reaching the group phase would constitute a respectable achievement for Rangers, the club’s chief executive believes the conversation should be far more ambitious.
“I hear a lot of people saying Rangers should target the group stage,” Ezeaku said.
“The target of getting to the group stage is not ambitious. Challenge us to win the CAF Champions League. If we don’t win it and maybe fall at the semi-final stage, then we know we fought.”
The Rangers boss pointed to the club’s history of notable continental performances as evidence that Nigerian clubs should not approach African competition with a limited mindset.
He recalled previous victories against some of the continent’s established sides and highlighted Rangers’ past appearances in the group stages of CAF competitions as proof that the Flying Antelopes have the pedigree to compete beyond the preliminary rounds.
Ezeaku insists that setting conservative objectives risks limiting the mentality of both players and supporters.
According to him, a club that enters the competition focused solely on reaching the group stage may struggle to push beyond that threshold once it gets there. Instead, he wants Rangers to embrace bigger ambitions from the outset.
“Let us be overly ambitious,” he said. “It doesn’t kill a man to be ambitious.”
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The comments come as Rangers begin planning for a demanding campaign that will combine domestic title ambitions with the challenges of continental football.
Ezeaku revealed that the club is considering player sales as part of a broader sustainability strategy, with potential transfers expected to provide financial resources that could strengthen Rangers’ preparations for Africa’s premier club competition.
He stressed, however, that any decisions regarding player departures would be guided by the long-term interests of the club.
The General Manager also expressed confidence in Rangers’ recruitment structure, crediting the club’s scouting network for identifying talents who have gone on to become important members of the first team.
That confidence, he suggested, gives Rangers the ability to refresh the squad when necessary while remaining competitive both domestically and on the continent.
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Having reclaimed the NPFL title and secured a return to the CAF Champions League, Rangers now face the challenge of translating domestic success into a meaningful continental run.
And if Ezeaku’s vision is anything to go by, the target in Enugu is clear: participation alone will not be enough.
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