Enugu Rangers General Manager Barrister Amobi Ezeaku has rewarded the club’s players and technical team with $10,000 following their dramatic qualification for the next round of the CAF Champions League.
Ezeaku made the announcement while addressing the Rangers delegation in Lomé after the Flying Antelopes survived AS Sobemap in a tense preliminary-round tie.
Rangers advanced after the second leg finished 1-1, with the Nigerian champions winning 5-4 on penalties after the two teams had drawn 2-2 on aggregate.
Clearly buoyed by the achievement, Ezeaku told the players that the result had given Rangers supporters and Nigerians plenty to be proud of before announcing the financial reward.
“I am not going to say to you guys, when we get back to Nigeria, Captain come, I have here with me $10,000. And this $10,000 is for you guys. Congratulations,” Ezeaku said.
He immediately added that the reward would not be the last gesture from the club.
“And we are going to do more. By God’s grace. We are going to do more.”
Ezeaku links Lomé escape to Rangers’ 1977 history
Beyond the financial reward, Ezeaku used the occasion to place Rangers’ latest continental achievement within the club’s historic African pedigree.
The Rangers GM took the players back to 1977, recalling the club’s encounter with Al-Ahly Tripoli of Libya.
According to Ezeaku, Rangers had played a goalless draw in Lagos before travelling to North Africa for the return fixture, where a decisive goal from captain Christian helped the Nigerian side progress.
“Today, we have replayed that,” Ezeaku told the players.
The comparison underlined the significance he attached to Rangers’ latest away qualification, with the Flying Antelopes once again needing to negotiate a difficult continental tie away from home.
This time, Rangers were forced to settle the matter from the penalty spot after Sobemap had twice held them to 1-1 draws across the two legs.
READMORE: Enugu Rangers advance in CAF Champions League after dramatic shootout in Lomé
Ezeaku also used the celebration to express his confidence in the squad and the technical leadership of head coach Fidelis Ilechukwu.
The Rangers GM explained that he had deliberately refrained from putting additional pressure on the players because of his belief in their ability to deliver.
“I didn’t talk to you guys because I know the quality I have,” he said.
Ezeaku then singled out Ilechukwu’s contribution, adding: “I didn’t talk to you guys because I know the kind of technical advisor in the person of Fidelis Ilechukwu.”
That confidence has now been rewarded with progression into the next phase of the Champions League, although Rangers’ work is far from finished.
The Flying Antelopes needed penalties to overcome Sobemap after failing to settle either leg during regulation time, and the next round will provide a considerably stronger test of their continental credentials.
Ezeaku urges discipline as Rangers look ahead
Even in the middle of the celebrations, Ezeaku reminded the squad that the standards expected of Rangers must remain high.
“Now, I want you to pay attention. We are a disciplined team,” he told the players.
The message comes at a crucial moment for the Nigerian champions.
Their victory in Lomé has kept their Champions League campaign alive, but the narrow nature of their progression means there is little time for complacency.
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