NPFL: Derby win boosts Rangers ahead of Nasarawa United clash
Coach Maikaba has put behind him the losses to Enyimba and Plateau United in Nnewi
Rangers International F.C are keen to maintain their newfound form in the ongoing NPFL 2021/2022 season as they host Nasarawa United in one of the matchday 13 fixtures on Thursday.
Though Rangers have suffered home losses against Enyimba and Plateau United this season, the Flying Antelopes are boosted with their derby win against Abia Warriors going into this tricky tie at the F.C Ifeanyiubah Stadium, Nnewi, the adopted home ground of the coach Abdul Maikaba tutored side.
Coach Maikaba who has put behind him the losses to Enyimba and Plateau United in Nnewi, will be counting on attacking sensation, Chinonso Eziekwe and Chidiebere Nwobodo to annex all three points at stake to move up on the league log.
The Enugu side will be counting on the experience of the defensive duo of Ernest Governor and Chimezie David to ward off any threat from the coach Bala Nikyu side that parades such players as Michael Tochukwu, Shammasu Mohammed, Abubakar Abdullahi, Uche Ihuarulam, Charles Eguavoen, Tolulope Oluwole, Ikenna Offor and a host of others while relying on Kenechukwu Agu, Samuel Pam, and Ejike Uzoenyi to provide the needed ammunition for the front men to bury.
Coach Maikaba said, ahead of the fixture that is slated for Thursday, February 17, 2022, “We are quite prepared for this match both psychologically, mentally, and physically to get back on track towards achieving our set target for the season. It will be a tough match, no doubt, but we have done all that is needed to get the result we need. With the win over Abia Warriors over the weekend, the boys have shrugged off the psychological weight of the challenges of the playing turf of the stadium and will be in the right frame of mind to go for the maximum points at stake.”
The ‘Solid Miners’ that currently occupy the 9th position on the twenty team log, in the last six matchdays, boasts of two wins, two losses, and two drawn games with a D, D, W, L, W, L form while hosts, the ‘Flying Antelopes’ had two wins, three drawn games and a loss for a W, D, L, D, D, W form going into this encounter.
In the eleven confrontations between both gladiators between 2015 and 20221, the Lafia side have smiled away with five victories as against three for the ‘Coal City’ side and three ended in draws as the last meeting in Lafia on August 2, 2021, saw the Bala Nikyu tutored side smash three past the Enugu side to cancel out the 2-0 scoreline it suffered in Enugu on March 22, 2021.
Rangers will next travel to Port-Harcourt to engage Rivers United in a matchday 14 fixture at the Adokiye Amiesiamaka stadium, Omagba, Port-Harcourt hopeful of keeping their away record intact on Sunday, February 20, 2022.
Matches between Rangers and Nasarawa United had ended thus:
20/05/2015 = Rangers 0-0 Nasarawa United
20/9/2015 = Nasarawa United 1-0 Rangers
22/4/2016 = Rangers 2-1 Nasarawa United
26/8/2016 = Nasarawa United 1-0 Rangers
18/1/2017 = Nasarawa United 1-1 Rangers
4/6/2017 = Rangers 1-1 Nasarawa United
29/1/2018 = Nasarawa United 2-1 Rangers
10/10/2018 = Rangers 4-2 Nasarawa United
26/2/2020 = Nasarawa United 2-1 Rangers
22/3/2021 = Rangers 2-0 Nasarawa United
2/8/2021 = Nasarawa United 3-0 Rangers
