…Ready for El Kanemi Warriors
Enugu Rangers’ coach, Imama Amapakabo, has charged his wards to be up and doing and forget about the opening day 1-2 loss to Abia Warriors and focus on the subsequent matches in the series.
Amapakabo attributed the loss to the low performance of some of his players, without mentioning any one in particular. “When the game started, we had about seven players that did not come to the party,” Amapakabo said.
“So when you have up to seven players that are not up there, and these are the same players that few months ago were champions of Nigeria, we managed to hope as best as possible that the result would come at the end of the day (but it did not),” lamented Amapakabo, who started the game with 10 of the players that were part of the title winning side last term.
Rangers’ only goal of the game was scored by former Akwa United striker, Fortune Omoniwari, who was making his Rangers’ debut, and despite his team’s apparent lack of goals in recent games, Amapakabo remains unruffled.
Rangers lost on penalties to FC Ifeanyi Ubah in the Nigerian Charity Cup upper Wednesday, after a goalless encounter “We are creating the chances which is good. It is my responsibility to see that they start scoring and we will improve on that.
It is a long season and we started last year by losing away (at Kano Pillars). We have 37 more games to play, and I’m sure we will get it right,” he enthused. Rangers play on the road to Nasarawa United midweek, and perhaps may reverse their poor start.
Their hosts, Nasarawa United, secured an opening day draw at Confederation Cup hopefuls, Wikki Tourists last Sunday and will be playing their first game at their home ground in Lafia in two years, after playing all of last season in Makurdi, due to renovation works at the Lafia Township Stadium.
