Enugu Rangers International are gradually losing out on a continental ticket spot after failing to capitalize on home advantage, suffering a 2-0 defeat to relegation-threatened Heartland FC on Matchday 33 of the NPFL.
The Flying Antelopes (8th place – 46 points) were flat and too easy to play through, missing several key players due to injuries. Suraju Lawal and Isaac Nassy inflicted the damage on Fidelis Ilechukwu’s side in the 21st and 48th minutes, respectively.
Fidelis Ilechukwu Reacts — What Did the Enugu Rangers Boss Say After the Loss to Heartland?
“We are not happy. Everyone is sad. It’s a big disappointment. I’m especially disappointed because it happened in front of our fans. It’s a very painful loss, but we must pick ourselves up before our FA Cup match and the next NPFL games.”
“When you lose a game like this, you need to sit back and evaluate the situation in the team. I must say I’m not happy. When you lose key players to injuries and those who come in can’t live up to expectations, it’s frustrating. This is a big setback for the team. We have an injury crisis, but I believe the replacements should still deliver results. Football is all about converting chances. We’ve lost too many chances in too many games this season, and we keep working on converting them to ensure we get it right. I know it’s really painful, but we’ll keep working hard to do better in the remaining five matches.”
On Allegations of Throwing the Game to Help Heartland FC
Regarding rumors that Rangers International deliberately gave up the match to help relegation-threatened Heartland move out of the drop zone, Ilechukwu strongly denied the claims, saying:
“Those rumors are fake. I’m the technical adviser here, and I’ve coached Heartland in the past. They know me well—I’m not the kind of coach you’d approach for something like that. It’s the last thing I’d ever do in this life, so they can’t even think of asking me.”
Still Hopeful for a Continental Spot
Speaking about their chances of qualifying for continental football, Coach Fidelis Ilechukwu assured fans that his team is still in a good position to secure the ticket.
“We have a 100% chance of qualifying for continental football. Before the game, we were in a strong position to get that ticket. We worked very hard for this game. We played them earlier in the FA Cup, and it was tough—we only defeated them via penalties. So we trained very well and rested well before this match and focused on goal conversion.
“There’s nothing like throwing the game away. The problem is we’re dealing with a serious injury crisis. Last season, our midfielders scored 40% of our goals—Kazeem Ogunleye, Kelechukwu Agu, Chukwudi Nwaodu, Ugo and Kanu Nweke who has recently teamed up with Enyimba FC were key. But today, those guys are unavailable. Kazeem is out of the country, Kanu Nweke is now with Enyimba, Kelechukwu, and Ugo are both injured. These guys (all midfielders) scored 40% of our goals last season as we won the league. However, only Savior Isaac was left doing all the work.
“I’m a coach who finds different ways to get goals, not just relying on strikers. Because when the strikers don’t come to the parry, the whole team suffers. This time around, it was really tough. We had 3 to 4 players playing through injuries and fatigue. In football, you expect replacements to step up, but unfortunately, they didn’t meet our expectations.
“We can never throw away any game. It’s not in my nature, and I can never do that.”
On the Remaining Games and Fans’ Support
Speaking about Rangers’ chances of qualifying for a CAF competition, Ilechukwu said:
“With five games to go, we are hopeful and positive. That’s the only way forward now. If we put too much pressure on the boys, it’ll only get worse. We’ll reduce the pressure and let the boys know they have what it takes. They’ve done it before, and they can do it again. We’ll remind them to bring out the champion spirit in them to finish strong.”
He also appealed to the fans:
“We’re sorry for the disappointment. This is not what we expected or planned for, but it ended this way. We sincerely apologize.”
The Injury Plague and Mid-Season Challenges
Last season, the Cathedral was a fortress. But this season, things have gone downhill, and the situation appears to be getting tougher.
“One of our biggest challenges is injuries, and I’ve been saying this all along. Look at Barcelona when Messi left—they started struggling. Now, we’re not just missing one player—we’re missing 6 to 7 starters. That’s always going to be tough.
“Most of our mid-season signings were brought in with the idea that they would gradually integrate into the team and be fully ready by next season. But due to the injury crisis, we’ve been forced to use them earlier than planned. Our main striker is also out, so we’re just managing the situation.”
On His Future with Rangers International
Addressing his future, considering his contract ends at the close of the current NPFL campaign, Coach Fidelis Ilechukwu said:
“Seriously, my future depends on the remaining five NPFL games. These are very important matches for me. We want to finish well and return to where we belong. We want to make sure the defending champions don’t sink. We want to make the fans happy and meet the expectations of those who believe in us.
“After all that, I’ll evaluate what we’ve done and what’s left to do. But truly, with the general manager, Amobi Ezeaku, I won’t talk about my future for now—whether I’m staying or leaving. What matters most is the outcome of these remaining five games. After that, we’ll see what happens next.”
Enugu Rangers International currently sit 8th on the NPFL table and will hope to do well in the remaining five matches of the season in a bid to secure a CAF competition ticket for next season.
