By Wale Mustapha
Enugu Rangers assistant coach Ekenedilichukwu Ekeh has praised his team’s resilience after a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Plateau United in the quarterfinals of the President Federation Cup on Saturday.
The Flying Antelopes secured their place in the semifinals thanks to a 30th-minute goal from Chijioke Okorie in a tightly contested match at the Area 3 Pitch in Abuja.
Speaking to reporters after the game in place of head coach Fidelis Ilechukwu, Ekeh admitted that Rangers had to dig deep against a well-organized Plateau United side.
“This is a very sweet victory for us against a highly tactical and technical side, led by a great coach, Mbwas Mangut,” Ekeh said. “We were lucky at times, but we stayed focused and took our chance.”
Ekeh emphasized the team’s determination to go all the way in the competition, noting, “We will continue to fight till the end of the tournament.”
Saturday’s win marks another chapter in the growing rivalry between the two sides. Rangers also defeated Plateau United in the 2023 semifinals but went on to lose to Bendel Insurance in the final.
Rangers will now face Kwara United in the semifinal at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Onikan, Lagos, later this month as they continue their quest for a first President Federation Cup title in over four decades.
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.
