A Chidera Ezeh’ well-taken spot kick on 38 minutes ensured that the home side, Rangers International F.C scooped all three points at stake in a match day 7, NPFL 2022/2023 abridge league, Group B encounter against hard fighting, Doma United F.C under the scorching sun at Awka City Stadium, Sunday.
The premiership new boys started the encounter with high hopes of continuing their unbeaten run to five but came unstuck against a Rangers side that was looking to get back to winning ways after a not-too-impressive start to the season.
With the attacking duo of Godwin Obaje and Hadi Mohammed ably supplied with the right ammunition from the quartet of Austin Onyemaechi, Naziru Auwalu, Shedrack Asiegbu, and Innocent Gabriel, it was only a matter of when, not, if the coach Abdul Maikaba side would score just as captain Uche John led bravely from the back.
After surviving an early raid from the visitors that saw lanky Samuel Enefiok blaze his effort wide on three minutes, the home side turned the screw on the backline of the Gombe state side as Hadi Mohammed and Innocent Gabriel saw their well-taken efforts blocked out by agile goal tender, Kingdom Osayi on the 16 and 20 minutes.
As the game crept past the half-hour mark, with the fans urging them on, substitute, Chukwudi Nwaodu released enterprising Austin Onyemaechi whose dashing run toward goal was hacked down inside the box by Saifullahi Yusuf and the referee wasted no time in pointing to the spot and right-back, Chidera Ezeh expertly sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to send the fans into celebrations.
Chances came for both sides for the remaining part of the encounter with the home side missing over five created opportunities with that of substitute, Saidu Adamu, on 90+1 minutes as Osayi stretched full length to push his effort after dribbling past three markers, standing out.
Coach Abdul Maikaba said after the match, “It was a good game that would have seen more goals from my boys but for some good goalkeeping from the opponents. I congratulate my team for this win as we try to overcome our difficult start. I am encouraged by this performance and believe that very soon, we shall start picking points on the road.”
With the victory, Rangers now have eight points and will next play Bayelsa United in a match day 9 fixture at the Samson Siasia stadium, Yenagoa on Sunday, February 19, 2023, as the midweek match day 8 fixture against Rivers United has been postponed.
