Nigeria remaining teams in the 2024/25 CAF Continental competitions – Rangers and Enyimba – got favourable results in the first leg of their final preliminary round games played on Friday, www.aclsports.com reports.
In the CAF Champions League, Rangers left it late to beat Sagrada Esperanca of Angola 1-0 at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo. The Nigerian champions have been struggling in front of goal in recent weeks and needed a goal from Kazeem Ogunleye in the 80th minute to take a first-leg ahead of the return leg next weekend.
Head coach Fidelis Ilechukwu returned to the squad after his time with the Super Eagles of Nigeria. On the pitch, it took a while for Rangers to get going in the game. As it has been in their past three games in all competitions, the Flying Antelopes struggled to create clear-cut chances, while the visitors relied on counter-attacks.
Despite missing a flurry of chances in the half, the hosts had a ball hit the side netting but the match officials failed to see that and the half finished with both teams unseparated.
After the break, the Enugu side upped the ante and started pushing for a goal. It eventually came via the boots of substitute Ogunleye in the game’s final quarter. The midfielder wriggled his way past some markers before unleashing an unstoppable effort from his weak foot into the corner of the net. Ilechukwu’s men defended the goal well and secured a slender first-leg win ahead of the reverse fixture next weekend.
In the CAF Confederation Cup, former NPFL champions – Enyimba – held Etoile Filante of Burkina Faso to a goalless draw in the game decided at Mohammed Konate Stadium in Bamako. The Aba side, who made a strong start to the new NPFL campaign, were solid defensively in the encounter and could have nicked a win in the end but they will be favourites to progress when they meet again next weekend.
Rangers will travel to Angola for the second leg next weekend, while Enyimba will host the Burkina Faso side at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo.
