By Chinedu Adonu

ENUGU – Rangers International Football Club of Enugu suffered a 2-1 defeat to visiting Enyimba FC of Aba in a highly anticipated local derby on Sunday.

This loss marks the sixth time Rangers have dropped points at home since the beginning of the 2024/2025 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season.

Rangers started the game on the back foot, conceding two quick goals before halftime. Enyimba dominated the first half, with the opening goal coming in the 23rd minute, followed by a second goal in the 29th minute, securing the lead.

Rangers’ only goal came in the 60th minute when substitute Chidiebre Onyia, wearing jersey No. 31, pulled one back for the hosts. Despite their best efforts in the second half, Rangers failed to equalize and squandered several scoring opportunities.

As a result of the win, Enyimba moved up to 5th place on the league table with 52 points, while Rangers, previously in 6th, dropped to 8th.

Enyimba’s head coach, Stanley Iguma, expressed his satisfaction with the victory, particularly with his team’s performance in the first half. “We outplayed Rangers in the first half,” he said, acknowledging Rangers’ strong response in the second half. “Rangers came out strong in the second half,” Iguma added.

On the other hand, Rangers’ Technical Adviser, Fidelis Ilechukwu, attributed the defeat to injuries affecting some of his key players and other challenges the team is currently facing.

Rangers’ captain, Chinemerem Ugwueze, expressed regret over the loss, saying, “Before we came into the game, we were already two goals down.”