President Federation Cup: Fidelis Ilechukwu vows to rebuild after Rangers semifinal loss

By Dayo Awoniyi

Rangers International’s hopes of lifting the 2025 President Federation Cup were dashed on Wednesday following a 1-0 defeat to Kwara United in a tense semifinal encounter at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Lagos.

The decisive moment came just three minutes after the break when Kwara United’s Wasiu Alalade pounced on a defensive lapse to slot home the winning goal, sealing a historic final appearance for the Ilorin-based side.

Rangers head coach Fidelis Ilechukwu cut a disconsolate figure after the final whistle, describing the result as heartbreaking.

“This is really a sad loss for us as a team, but we have taken it as one of the outcomes of a football match. It was not destined to be our day,” Ilechukwu said.

He admitted the team’s first-half performance fell short of expectations but commended the players for their improved second-half display.

“Our first half was not too impressive, but we came back for the second half a better side. Unfortunately, that error at the back gave us away,” he added.

Despite the setback, Ilechukwu remained optimistic about the future and pledged to bounce back.

“We shall go back and regroup and find our way back to the top in the coming season.”

Rangers will now turn their focus to the final fixture of their 2024/2025 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) campaign, as they travel to Ibadan to take on Shooting Stars (3SC) on Sunday, May 25.