Rangers came into the 2024/2025 NPFL season opener with nine consecutive home victories over El-Kanemi, but the Flying Antelopes were shocked by a more determined Borno Army.
Rangers International’s quest to kick off their Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) title defence with a win faltered as they were held to a goalless draw by newly promoted El-Kanemi Warriors at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium in Enugu on Saturday, August 31.
Rangers’s head coach Fidelis Ilechukwu, made six changes to his starting lineup that secured the CAF Champions League (CAFCL) second-round spot against US Zilimadjou on Friday, August 23. Kenneth Igboke, Isaac Saviour, Odoh Joel, Ogunleye Kazeem, Uwumiro Frank, and Garando Tekena were all given the nod as the Flying Antelopes sought to increase their head-to-head dominance over El-Kanemi.
El-Kanemi had the first real chance of the game through Nasiru Salihu’s shot in the fourth minute before Rangers’s Isaac was denied from a free kick just outside the box in the 28th minute.
The Borno Army came close to taking the lead shortly after halftime, with Jacob Jonathan’s acrobatic effort almost finding the back of the net, only to be denied by a last-ditch save from Japhet Opubo. The Borno Army continued to threaten, with both Nasiru and Jacob forcing additional saves from Opubo, who was arguably the hosts’s best performer.
The draw marks the first time in 10 matches that El-Kanemi has avoided defeat against Rangers in Enugu, breaking a streak that had seen Rangers win all previous nine encounters by an aggregate score of 16-0.
Other Matchday One fixtures are set to continue on Saturday, September 7, and Sunday, September 8.
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