By Dayo Awoniyi
Rangers International head coach Fidelis Ilechukwu has expressed disappointment following his team’s 2-0 defeat to Heartland FC in the Oriental Derby on Sunday.
The match, played at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium in Enugu, saw the visitors dominate proceedings with goals from Surajudeen Lawal in the 20th minute and Isaac Nassy three minutes after the restart.
Assistant coach Ekeh Ekenedilichukwu, who addressed the media after the game, admitted the team fell short of expectations.
“It was really a bad day in the office for us, and we have taken it in our stride,” Ekeh said, reflecting on what was a below-par performance from the Enugu-based side.
The defeat drops Rangers to eighth place on the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) table, with 46 points from 33 matches.
With league hopes momentarily dashed, the Flying Antelopes will now shift focus to the 2025 President Federation Cup, where they face Insurance FC in the Round of 16.
“We now focus on our next match against Insurance FC. We hope to give it our best and bring smiles back to the faces of our ardent supporters,” Ekeh added.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
