Rangers International Technical adviser Fidelis Ilechukwu insist his side will not be weighed down by pressure as they continue their Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) title pursuit.
Speaking ahead of their matchday 31 clash with El Kanemi Warriors in Enugu, Ilechukwu stressed that his side remain focused on a game-by-game approach despite the tight race at the top.
“There is no different message, we don’t want to be under pressure because of the league. We take it one game after the other after this game, we talk about the next one.”
Photo Credit: Rangers media
Rangers currently sit second on the table, just a point behind leaders Rivers United FC, but Ilechukwu was keen to downplay talk of title pressure.
“They understand (players) what it takes to win,” he added. “They have the attitude, the capacity, the character and they understand what we want. To me, we are always ready.”
However, the Rangers boss admitted his side are still feeling the effects of a frustrating result in their previous outing against Kwara United, where missed chances proved costly.
“That game was so painful to us because we knew we had all it takes to win,” he said. “We prepared very well, created a lot of chances, but did not convert them.”
Photo Credit: Rangers media/X
Ilechukwu suggested the dropped points could have significantly altered the title picture.
“It could have been a big advantage for us to be top of the table right now,” he said. “We had about an 80% chance to win that game convincingly, but football is football that one is beyond us now.”
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Despite the disappointment, the focus has quickly shifted to the next challenge, with Ilechukwu acknowledging the threat posed by El Kanemi.
“We will start talking about the next game,” he said. “El Kanemi is a great team, but we will review the last match, identify our deficiencies and work on them.”
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Ilechukwu is hoping to win his second NPFL title in 3 years at the Flying Antelopes after clinching his first in the 2023/2024 season.
