NPFL Review: Rangers lose first game of a new year for the second time in a row; sweet revenge of Sunshine Stars in Ikenne
Like they did in January 2024 when they lost 2-0 at Bendel Insurance, Rangers international FC of Enugu have lost their first league game of a new year for the second year in a row after crashing 2-1 to visiting Niger Tornadoes at the Nnamdi Azikiwe stadium in Enugu on Saturday.
The Flying Antelopes, as Rangers are called, won the first leg, as it were, 1-0 to draw the curtain on the first stanza of the 2024/25 Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL, season and were hoping to do a double over the visitors but wishes refused to be horses.
Ismael Saraki put the visitors ahead on 17 minutes, but the lead lasted only four minutes with Collins Ugwueze restoring parity for Rangers in the 21st minute.
After the restart, it was the visitors that scored again, this time through Ifeanyi Okechukwu in the 64th minute.
Rangers created a lot of chances and also missed a penalty as they crashed to their third loss at home this season.
The Flying Antelopes will remain fourth on the log with 31 points from 20 matches for at least another week following the postponement of the El-Kanemi Warriors of Maiduguri’s game at Kano Pillars.
The two sides are the ones with mathematical chance of either moving above Rangers on the log.
Meanwhile, at the Lafia Township stadium, relegation candidate, Nasarawa United won their sixth game of the game following their 1-0 defeat of Katsina United.
Qamar Adegoke’s 35th minute goal was enough to hand the host all three points albeit they still remain bottom of the table with 19 points from 20 games.
At the Remo Stars stadium in Remo, Ikenne, Sunshine Stars of Akure won their first Southwest derby game by beating Ikorodu City 4-3.
The Akure Gunners scored thrice within the first 34 minutes of the game via Ahmadu Liman (16), Promise Awosanmi (21), and Alao Danlami (34).
The Oga Boys scored through Shola Adelani in first half added time to end the first half 3-1.
Adelani was on song again in the 66th minute to give the visitors hope of a comeback and a double over their host who they defeated 2-1 with Rivio Ayemwenre scoring the winner in the 103rd minute.
Danlami would not have any of that and like Adelani, he fired in his second of the game in the 74th minute to make it 4-2 for the homers.
A 93rd minute goal by Emmanuel Solomon for the visitors was not enough as they lost for the third straight game away from home and sixth overall in 10 games on the road in their debut season in the Nigerian topflight league.
