Former Green Eagles skipper and General Manager of Rangers International Football Club of Enugu, Christian Chukwu, has urged the club’s fans not to look down on his team after their 1-4 humiliation by Zamalek Football Club of Egypt in the CAF Champions League outing.
The former Super Eagles’ coach said he was confident that Rangers would bounce back when they host the Egyptians at home on March 19 and cancel all the goals deficit.
“Nobody should rule us out yet. We are still in the game. It is not over for us yet. We have everything to scale the hurdles.
Everybody knows that it is not easy to play any Egyptian club at home and not get defeated. We can inflict the same punishment on them in Nigeria. We will plan fresh strategies and beat them.
They are not invincible,” Chukwu said. Rangers were not at their best last Sunday. They played as if there was nothing at stake, as the Egyptians capitalised on Rangers’ weak points to rattle their way in and scored four good goals.
Rangers need to score three goals to see off Zamalek in the second leg, but the Egyptians will not come to Nigeria to watch cinema. They could score more goals to put Rangers under severe pressure.
Rangers have done it in the past, overturning a 1-3 loss to Al Mehalla in 1975 with a 3-0 win in Enugu. Another 3-0 win is desirable. Shooting Stars did it to Zamalek in 1976, by cancelling a two goal deficit.
So also the Ibadan side did in the semifinals of the inaugural CAF Cup in 1992, overturning a two goal deficit inflicted on them by Tunisia’s CA Bizerte, despite that some of their key players had escaped into Europe while in transit in Rome.
Already, the Confederation of Africa Football has appointed referees from Gabon: Eric Arnaud Otogo Castane, Theophile Vinga and Moussounda Montel to handle the match.