By Wale Mustapha
Enugu Rangers defender Ifeanyi Onyebuchi has denied reports linking him with a move away from the club, affirming his commitment to the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) champions.
Onyebuchi, who played a key role in Rangers’ league title triumph two seasons ago, was instrumental again last season—form that earned him a call-up to Nigeria’s home-based Super Eagles squad for the upcoming African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Algeria.
Despite reported interest from clubs both within the NPFL and abroad, Onyebuchi insists he remains focused on his current responsibilities with Rangers and the national team.
“My focus is on the CHAN tournament. I don’t want to talk about my future now. My dream is to win CHAN for my country,” Onyebuchi told Nigerian Players Gallery.
“My club is Rangers FC, that’s where I won the NPFL title. It’s my home. I have sacrificed a lot to make the fans happy. Rangers is Red, my blood is Red—Rangers is more than a club, it’s a home.”
The Super Eagles B team will open their CHAN 2024 campaign against defending champions Senegal, before facing Congo and Sudan in the group stage.
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.
