As the second round of the 2022/2023 NPFL Abridge season gets underway in various stadia across the country this weekend, seven-time league champions, Rangers International F.C will be laying an ambush for visiting Bayelsa United at their adopted home ground, Awka City Stadium, with the aim of putting back on track their title ambitions.
Captain of the ‘Flying Antelopes’, Uche John, in an exclusive chat, Saturday, March 25, 2023, promised the club’s numerous supporters that he and his teammates have turned the difficulty curve which has seen the team pick a solitary nine points from nine matches played and ready to push for a top three finish at the end of the season.
“I know that we have not done too well in the first round but I assure our fans that things will turn for good as the second round kicks off with a home game against Bayelsa United. We are condemned to win and we are determined, physically and emotionally prepared for the visit of Bayelsa United with a resounding victory. We have to achieve our set target at the start of the season,” stated the defense lynchpin.
Adding his voice to his skipper’s optimism is young and energetic midfield maestro, Ugwueze Chinemerem, who had his baptism of fire in the top flight in the rescheduled match day 8 fixture against Rivers United, midweek, stated that even when the task is challenging, the team would surmount it and pick a ticket to play in the season-ending Super-Six tournament.
“I am very optimistic that we have the quality to work our way to be amongst the top three finishers in our group. Bayelsa United is not a small side as we shall approach the encounter with all the seriousness it deserves with our eyes set on picking the three points at stake,” stated the young midfielder.
In the first meeting in Yenagoa, Rangers picked a valuable point after they were forced to a 1-1 draw with Godwin Obaje netting for the ‘Flying Antelopes’ on 5 minutes only to be pegged back by Robert Mizo-Christian’s effort on 41 minutes and much is expected from the two teams who are not new to themselves despite the Yenagoa side spending some years in the NNL and their standings on the Group B log is a pointer to the fact that victory is not negotiable for the home side.
