By Wale Mustapha
Reigning champions of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) side, Enugu Rangers, have issued a public apology to their fans following a disappointing 2-0 home defeat to Heartland FC in Sunday’s Oriental Derby.
The Matchday 33 loss dealt a blow to the Flying Antelopes’ hopes of securing a continental ticket, as they slipped to eighth place on the league table with 46 points from 33 matches.
In a statement posted on the club’s official Facebook page, Rangers described the result as a “difficult day” and acknowledged the frustration of their supporters.
“We apologise to our fans and supporters who turned up in numbers,” the club said.
“We are building a young team for the future, and while setbacks like this hurt, we remain committed to growing stronger.”
Head coach Fidelis Ilechukwu also noted that the result was a “bitter pill to swallow” for the squad, but pledged to bounce back and finish the season on a high.
The defeat to relegation-threatened Heartland has raised concerns among fans, with just five games remaining in the season.
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.
