Nigeria cup holders Rangers International will put their impressive unbeaten record in this season’s CAF Confederation Cup on the line when they face Tunisian side Etoile Sportive du Sahel (ESS) at the Olympic Stadium in Sousse on Sunday evening.
Rangers’ participation in this season’s tournament has seen them go eight games unbeaten, winning six and drawing two of their games. After an impressive 1-1 draw ten days ago against CS Sfaxien also in Tunisia, Gbenga Ogunbote’s wards will however face their toughest test yet when they face the former Champions Etoile.
The Flying Antelopes are top of Group B with four points after two round of matches but to stay on top, they may need an outright win over Etoile who suffered a shock loss at home to Sfaxien in their first group game, which they followed with a 0-0 draw at Burkinabe side Salitas.
Rangers arrived in Tunisia on Saturday ahead of Sunday’s game and will be banking on the impeccable form of midfielder Godwin Aguda who is the tournament’s top scorer this season with six goals.
Our boys having a feel of the pitch as the 'Battle of Sousse' draws close. Every player on the trip is fit as a fiddle to defend our color. #NeverSayDie pic.twitter.com/h0q0pnQYfK
— Rangers Int. FC (@RangersIntFC) February 24, 2019
Former Nigerian World Cup star Michael Uchebo has also travelled with the Rangers squad and is in line to make his Confederation Cup debut for the side. Striker Bobby Clement who posted a man-of-the-match performance in the game against Sfaxien is also in the squad but is carrying a knock from their last league game against Wikki Tourists.
Sunday’s game between Etoile and Rangers will kickoff at 8pm (local time, same time in Nigeria). The game will kickoff just over an hour after the group’s other game between CS Sfaxien and Salitas at the Taieb Mhiri Stadium in Sfax.
