President Federation Cup: Ekene Ekeh praises Rangers’ grit after Plateau United win

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.