The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Grassroots Sports Development, Hon. Adeyinka Anthony Adeboye, has described Rangers International’s dramatic progression in the CAF Champions League as a triumph of character, courage and the famous “Never Say Die” spirit that has defined the Enugu club for generations.
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Rangers booked their place in the second preliminary round of the 2026/27 CAF Champions League on Friday after overcoming AS Sobemap of Benin Republic 5-4 on penalties in Lomé, Togo.
With both legs ending 1-1, the tie stood at 2-2 on aggregate before the Nigerian champions held their nerve from the penalty spot to extend their continental journey.
For Adeboye, the victory carried an emotion beyond the result.
Only recently, the Presidential aide was back in Enugu for a surprise visit to Rangers, reconnecting with a club he has regarded as home for more than four decades.
His relationship with the Flying Antelopes stretches back to his earlier years in football, and during the visit, Adeboye spoke warmly about the place Rangers occupies in his personal journey.
That connection made Friday’s tense night in Lomé particularly memorable.
“Never Say Die is more than a Rangers slogan; tonight they lived it,” Adeboye said. “Continental football will test your quality, but it will also test your character. Rangers were pushed, they were under pressure, but they refused to surrender. That is the Rangers spirit I have known for many years.”
Founded in 1970, Rangers have grown into one of Nigerian football’s most recognisable institutions, with their identity closely associated with resilience and the famous “Never Say Die” philosophy. The club’s history spans domestic league and cup triumphs as well as memorable continental campaigns.
Adeboye’s recent visit to the club was therefore more of a homecoming than a conventional courtesy call.
He was received by Rangers General Manager, Barr. Amobi Ezeaku, with discussions touching on the club’s development, Nigerian football and the importance of creating stronger pathways for young players.
The visit ended with Rangers presenting Adeboye with an official club jersey, a football and a special book, gestures the SSA described as treasured reminders of his enduring relationship with the Flying Antelopes.
Adeboye said seeing Rangers survive Friday’s difficult assignment so soon after that visit brought back memories of what the club has represented throughout its history.
“Rangers will always be home to me. My connection with this club goes back more than 40 years, so naturally there is a special feeling whenever Rangers succeeds,” he said.
“But beyond my personal relationship with Rangers, they are representing Nigeria. At this stage, it is no longer only Enugu that is watching them. Nigerian football is watching them, and we want to see our clubs standing strongly again among Africa’s best.”
The Presidential aide praised Ezeaku, the club’s management, technical crew, players and supporters for keeping the continental ambition alive despite being forced to fight for qualification until the final kick.
He said the nature of the victory could prove valuable as Rangers move deeper into the competition, noting that successful continental campaigns are often built not only on comfortable victories but also on the ability to survive difficult nights.
“This kind of victory can build a team,” Adeboye said. “There are nights when everything will not go according to plan. On those nights, character has to carry you. Rangers have crossed this hurdle, and now they must take that belief into the next round.”
Attention will now turn to the second preliminary round, where the stakes will become even higher as Rangers pursue a place in the lucrative CAF Champions League group stage.
Adeboye believes qualification should also serve as motivation to young footballers developing at the grassroots across Nigeria.
According to him, one of the most important elements of football development is ensuring that youngsters can see a genuine pathway from community football and academies into established domestic clubs and eventually onto continental and international stages.
“Somewhere in Nigeria, there is a young player watching Rangers in the CAF Champions League and saying, ‘One day, I want to be there,’” Adeboye said.
“That is why grassroots development matters. We must build the pathway that allows that child to move from the local pitch to an academy, from there to a club like Rangers and eventually to the national team or international football.”
He said the ongoing national conversation around football reform under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu must ultimately create stronger connections between grassroots development, domestic competitions, professional clubs and the national teams.
For Rangers, however, Adeboye believes the immediate responsibility is clear: enjoy the qualification, regroup and prepare for an even bigger challenge.
“They should celebrate because they have earned it, but this cannot be the destination,” he said.
“The group stage must now be the target. Rangers have history, they have tradition and they have that Never Say Die spirit. Now they must take all of that into the next round.”
And for a man who only weeks ago returned to Enugu and declared that Rangers would always be home, Friday’s result carried a simple but deeply personal satisfaction.
The Flying Antelopes had been pushed to the limit in Lomé. They bent, but they did not break. And just as their famous identity demands, Rangers refused to die.
