By Saheed Afolabi
Rangers assistant coach, Ekenedilichukwu Ekeh, has expressed his dissatisfaction with the team’s goalless draw against Heartland in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) at the Dan Anyiam Stadium in Owerri.
Ekeh attributed the missed opportunity for an away win to costly mistakes, despite a solid performance from the Flying Antelopes.
“We created chances but couldn’t convert them,” Ekeh explained to media.
“Honestly, it feels like two points lost because we came here for all three. We played well despite the challenge of playing on natural grass instead of our synthetic pitch.”
He added that while a point away from home is positive, the team’s inability to capitalize on their possession and solid defense was disappointing.
Reflecting on the squad’s improvement since a home loss to Kano Pillars, Ekeh emphasized that the defeat served as a wake-up call for the team.
“Football is about making mistakes, learning from them, and moving forward,” he said.
“We’ve worked hard on those areas, and the players have implemented those corrections, which you’re seeing now.”
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.
