Enugu Rangers’ captain Ugwueze Chinemerem has urged his teammates to approach the second leg of their CAF Champions League first preliminary round clash against US Zilimadjou of Comoros with greater intensity.
Ugwueze acknowledged that the team’s performance in the first leg was not flawless but expressed satisfaction with their 1-0 victory.
He emphasized that US Zilimadjou will still believe they have a chance due to the narrow margin of defeat. Consequently, he called for the Flying Antelopes to significantly up their game in the return leg on Friday in Uyo.
Rangers International FC secured their slim advantage with a first-half goal from Uwumiro Frank. The match, held at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, gave the reigning Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) champions a narrow lead, despite Rangers being considered the away team.
While Ugwueze praised his team for their solid performance, he emphasized the need for improvement and expressed confidence in their chances of advancing to the next stage of the tournament.
“The game did not go as planned, but the win is crucial for us. With this result, we are in a good position to progress to the next round, but there is still work to be done before the return leg,” Ugwueze stated.
“The game is over, and by the grace of God, it ended in our favour. It was a vital win.”
The return leg will be held at the same venue on Friday, with Rangers hosting the match this term , as their home ground, Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium in Enugu, did not meet CAF’s requirements.