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“We had a very bad first half” – Rangers coach explains defeat to Sunshine Stars
By Wale Mustapha
Enugu Rangers’ head coach, Godwin Nnosike, has attributed his side’s 1-0 defeat to Sunshine Stars to a slow start and defensive lapses in the first half of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) encounter.
The Flying Antelopes were undone by a first-half strike from Stephen Chukwude at the Dipo Dina Stadium in Ijebu-Ode, as Sunshine Stars secured a narrow victory in the encounter.
Despite a stronger second-half performance, Rangers were unable to equalize, leaving them without their usual spark.
Nnosike, who was stepping in for head coach Fidelis Ilechukwu, who was on national duty, expressed his disappointment with the result but promised a more determined response in future matches.
“We had a very bad first half and gave our opponents too much space to operate, which led to the goal we conceded,” Nnosike told Rangers’ media after the match.
“But we came back in the second half and did better. We could have ended the game on an equal note had we converted the chance we got towards the end of the match.”
The defending champions were unable to muster a comeback despite putting up a strong fight in the second half, and Nnosike acknowledged the areas that need improvement.
“We go back and work seriously on the lapses we noticed today and get back to winning ways,” he added, vowing to turn things around for the team.
Rangers will next face Kano Pillars in a Matchday 7 fixture on Wednesday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu, where they will aim to bounce back from their disappointing loss and get their season back on track.
