FCAAN congratulates Ilechukwu, commends NPFL
To effectively prosecute the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Champions League next season, Nigerian Premier Football League (NPFL) champions, Enugu Rangers, have started scouting for quality players to beef up the team.
The club stated that the signing of players already penciled down by the club would commence in earnest. General Manager of the club, Amobi Ezeaku, disclosed in Enugu yesterday that the search for quality players to prosecute the championship, which begins in August this year, has taken the club beyond Nigerian shores.
He stated that Rangers would participate in the competition with the aim of winning, stressing that their record in the continental championships so far has been encouraging.
He said: “We are on the continent. What it means is that we must plan. We must look at the financial criteria, we must look at the technical aspect, the infrastructure among others. We have started our scouting review. We have gone round Africa to get players that we need to beef up the team we have for the CAF championship.
“We are going to do our best to make Nigeria proud on the continent. We have played in CAF before and we have maintained good records. We will compete and not to participate. We have the technical depth and with the quality of players we have and the ones we will sign, we will make Nigeria proud.”
Ezeaku refuted rumours that Rangers Technical Adviser, Fidelis Ilechukwu, had notified his intention to quit the club and would not feature at their championship. He said that the coach was happy with the club, having leveraged it to raise his coaching profile.
“Ilechukwu has maintained a good run since he came on board the Nigerian League. He did well with Mountain of Fire and other clubs he handled, but it is with Rangers that he won the league trophy.
“He will feature in the continental championship from August and we are confident of his ability to take us far in the competition. If he is going out of Rangers, it will not be in the hiding. He has a contract with the club and we are certain that we are meeting our side of the bargain,” he stated.
Also speaking, Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Lloyd Ekweremadu, assured that the state government was committed to ensuring the success of the club in the championship.
He stated that an inspection of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium has already been conducted, assuring that the rehabilitation of the stadium would soon commence.
He thanked Governor Peter Mbah and the sponsors of the club, Afriinvest Nigeria for the financial commitment and support that helped the club lift the trophy.
Meanwhile, the Football Coaches Association of African Nations (FCAAN) has described the just-concluded 2023/24 Nigerian Premier Football League (NPFL) as a great advertisement for the country’s football, saying it was competitive and entertaining.
Speaking while congratulated two of its members,Enugu Rangers’ Head Coach, Fidelis Ilechukwu and Team Scout, Ekene Ikedilichukwu, for leading the Flying Antelopes to the 2023/2024 NPFL title, which is the team’s eighth in the competition, FCAAN President, Terry Eguaoje, said Ilechukwu has remained a consistent top coach in the Nigerian league.
He said he was not surprised that Ilechukwu led Rangers to an outstanding season and also picked a ticket to represent Nigeria in the CAF Champions League next season.
In the season, which ended last weekend, Enugu Rangers clocked 70 points to win their second NPFL title in six years. They were followed by Remo Stars, which had 65 points and Enyimba with 63 points.
