By Wale Mustapha
Enugu Rangers head coach Ekenedilichukwu Ekeh has lamented his team’s lack of concentration after a narrow 1–0 defeat to Rivers United in their Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) Matchday 36 clash on Wednesday.
The decisive goal came in first-half stoppage time, with Samson Obi capitalizing on a lapse in the Rangers’ defense to secure victory for the hosts at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in Port Harcourt.
Speaking to the club’s media team after the match, Ekeh acknowledged his players’ effort but admitted that a moment of carelessness cost them the game.
“This is football. The players fought really well,” he said.
“We conceded that lone goal in the added minutes of the first half. Our carelessness cost us the game.”
Despite creating chances in the second half, Rangers failed to find an equalizer.
“We pushed harder in the second half, but the damage had already been done,” Ekeh added.
“We’ll shift our attention to the next league match.”
Following the loss, the Flying Antelopes remain ninth on the NPFL table with 49 points from 36 matches.
They will host Katsina United on Matchday 37 at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium in Enugu on Sunday.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career 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.
