Warri Wolves continued their impressive start to the 2025/2026 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season with a 2-0 victory over Rangers International on Sunday, August 31, at the Southern Delta University Football Pitch in Ozoro.
The defeat leaves Rangers with just one point from two games, marking one of their poorest starts in recent years.
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Rangers head coach, Fidelis Ilechukwu, admitted his side’s tactical gamble backfired.
“It wasn’t the result we wanted. When we were a goal down, we took the risk by reducing the numbers in midfield and increasing in attack to look for a goal, but that resulted in conceding the second goal,” Ilechukwu said after the match.
How the Game Unfolded
Rangers, who had drawn goalless with newcomers Kun Khalifat in their opener, made several changes and lined up in an adventurous 4-4-2 formation.
The visitors controlled possession for most of the first half but struggled to break down a compact Wolves defense.
Warri Wolves struck first just before halftime. In the 45+3 minute, Godwin Oham produced a stunning curling strike from inside the box, beating Rangers goalkeeper George Abine to give the hosts the lead.
Chasing an equalizer, Rangers committed men forward in the second half, but Wolves punished them again in the 77th minute. Prince Ebhohon latched onto a counter-attack and buried the second goal to seal the win.
Despite the setback, Ilechukwu assured fans the team would recover:
“This season is going to be a tough one for us, but it will be one that we shall all be proud about,” he added.
The result means Warri Wolves maintain a perfect record with two wins from two games, topping the NPFL table with six points. They next face reigning champions Remo Stars in Abeokuta on Sunday, September 7.
Rangers, meanwhile, will seek redemption when they host Plateau United on the same day in Enugu.
