Fidelis Ilechukwu, Head Coach of Rangers International, has lamented the Coal City Flying Antelopes’ struggles in the 2024/2025 NPFL season, with the title holders languishing in 8th place on 46 points with only three games remaining, Completesports.com reports.
The seven-time champions have endured a torrid season, suffering an unbelievable six home defeats and two draws — the worst run in their 55-year history.
Ilechukwu and his Flying Antelopes were forced to swallow a bitter pill on Sunday, as Enyimba inflicted a 2-1 defeat at their Cathedral, Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu, in a matchday 35 fixture.
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Innocent Gabriel handed the Stanley Eguma-led side an early lead with a 20th-minute trademark strike. Ekene Awaziem doubled the nine-time champions’ lead six minutes later as the 2003 and 2004 CAF Champions League winners took a commanding 2-0 advantage into the break.
Substitute Chidozie Okorie halved Rangers’ deficit six minutes past the hour mark, but Enyimba held on tightly until the final whistle, thus inflicting Rangers’ sixth home defeat of the season in the Oriental Derby.
A disappointed Ilechukwu said afterwards that the title holders were enduring a nightmarish campaign this term.
“It’s really hard to take and difficult to explain that defending champions are struggling to make the top four in the league, not even top three,” Ilechukwu began.
“It’s so painful. I’m seriously feeling the pain, and I know where we have challenges. It’s something we’ll keep managing until the end of the season.”
The former Plateau United gaffer, who is also a Super Eagles Assistant Coach, found consolation in the fact that despite the poor run, Rangers are not battling relegation.
“We have to keep managing it, so long as the team is not struggling against relegation. That’s my feeling, so that by next season we can address the situation.”
The ‘Working One’, as the former MFM FC, Lagos, and Heartland coach is affectionately called, reflected on the defeat by Enyimba, admitting that the People’s Elephant dominated the midfield in the first half and made the most of it.
“Enyimba had a lot of advantages in the first half. They took over the midfield. In football, whoever controls the midfield controls everything.
“We tried to bring more players into the midfield to regain possession and attack, and I think we got it right but didn’t convert our chances.
“We adjusted our midfield problems but couldn’t convert our chances. That’s just the problem.”
Injury concerns have been linked as Rangers’ greatest undoing in the current campaign, with no fewer than six key players ruled out with varying degrees of injuries.
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“Seriously, we’ve injury challenges, but it’s something we’re managing and will keep managing. It’s painful, but there’s nothing we can do now but manage it until the end of the season,” Ilechukwu stated.
Completesports.com checks reveal that goalkeeper Lucky Abdullahi, defenders Charles Okafor, Ifeanyi Onyebuchi, and Joel Odoh are among the players sidelined through injury.
Rangers will face Plateau United in next Wednesday’s President Federation Cup quarter-final match in Abuja.
“I’m not going to mention all our challenges, but we’re going to come out strong. We know where the problems are, and we’ll address them. It’s ’50-50′. We have confidence that we’re going to win,” Ilechukwu said.
“We’re not going to lose hope. We’ll do everything humanly and technically possible to address the issues. We’ll give the boys confidence — even those struggling. We’ll tell them they can do better.
“If you watched the game, you would have seen the areas we’re managing.
“We’ll keep managing those areas until the end of the season. That’s the truth.”
By Sab Osuji
