Rangers International FC, Enugu, on Saturday, topped the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) table with 43 points after defeating Abia Warriors FC 2 – 1 in a match-day 25 encounter.
The coal-city side (Enugu), which, according to a NAN report, remained mostly at the top of the league in the first stanza, regained previous position after the tension-filled encounter, with visiting Abia Warriors FC at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu..
The match was played under floodlights on Friday night.
During the match, Rangers scored the initial goal of the match at the 15th minute through a header by Obinna Nwaobodo and the second goal at the 36th minute through a penalty kick taken by Chisom Egbuchulam.
However, the visitors, who fought harder in the second half of the game, scored at the 89th minute through a goal-mouth struggle by Bolaji Sakin.
Reacting, Rangers’ Technical Adviser, Amapakabo Imama, lauded his boys for sticking to the game plan and holding the tension created by the visiting team during the second half of the game.
He said “it is a deserved victory since my team followed the game plan to the latter although the Abia Warrior team is a resilient team as well.
“We thank God for this victory; which placed Rangers at the top of the league table for now,’’ Imama said.
Abia Warriors’ Team Manager, Ifeanyi Onyedika, noted that Rangers took advantage of their early goals, “when my boys were yet to understand the game.
“Today, we gave them a good fight, although when we dominated the game at the second half we were able to score only a goal.
“If we had more time, I am confident that we would re-equalise the two goals to force the match to a draw.”
Football fans in Enugu defied the little showers to watch the match and commended the officiating and quality football they watched.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Rangers, currently topping the league with 43 points from 25 matches, is closely followed
by Wikki Tourist FC with 42 points and then Rivers United FC with 38 points.
-NAN