Rangers International Football Club of Enugu on Wednesday earned the maximum three points from their Week 21 encounter against Katsina United at the Township Stadium in Awka.
The victory was their second since they relocated to Akwa as their new temporary home ground in the 2021/2022 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).
A second-half goal by Ebuka Anthony was all needed by the Flying Antelopes, who lost 0-2 to Lobi Stars of Makurdi on Sunday to carry the day.
Abdul Maikaba, the Rangers coach, later said grabbing the three points was sweet and important to the team.
Maikaba said the team suffered from fatigue and injuries, having played two matches in four days. He commended his players for a good job and promised that they would get a better result in subsequent fixtures.
On his part, Usman Abdallah, the coach of Katsina United, said his team had a good game in spite of the slim loss.
“I am excited, even though the most important thing is getting three points, and we lost. But we played two games in four days, and it was not easy. We are injury-hit, and we used the same set of players we used in Makurdi because we had few options,” said Abdallah. “Our medical team has said our injured players will join us soon, and this is not the best time to introduce new players. Continuity is the best.”
He added that the Ramadan fasting took a negative toll on his players, who were yet to adjust to playing matches while observing the religious obligation.
He said not less than 60 per cent of his players were fasting. The coach, however, expressed hopes that future games would be better.
“I think the fasting affected us because about 60 per cent of our players are fasting, and it’s just about four days into the fast. So, they have not adjusted, but in the next games, we will do better,” he explained. “The pitch is okay. When you see a good pitch like this, you are encouraged to play good football.”
Rangers are currently third on the league table with 37 points from 21 matches after 10 wins, seven draws, and four losses.
