Rangers International picked a hard fought 2-0 victory over Ikorodu City at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium in Enugu on Monday, to end their 2 game winless streak in Nigeria Premier football league match day 22.
This win also marked a double over Ikorodu City, having defeated them 1-0 in Lagos on match day 2.
The match saw Rangers create several chances, but they were wasteful in front of goal, registering 16 attempts, with only three on target. Ikorodu City, despite having 10 attempts, failed to hit the target at all, struggling to break down the Rangers defense.
The game began with Ikorodu City’s Toyeeb Ajeyigbe testing Rangers goalkeeper Lucky Abadullahi in the 10th minute, but the keeper was quick to make a comfortable save.
Rangers began asserting themselves as the first half progressed, and just before the break, Godwin Obaje opened the scoring for the home side, giving them a 1-0 lead going into halftime.
After the break, Ikorodu City looked to find an equalizer, and their goalkeeper, James, was called into action in the 61st minute when he pulled off a crucial save in a one-on-one situation with Obaje.
Despite the save, Rangers continued to press forward, but they remained wasteful in front of goal, failing to capitalize on multiple opportunities.
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As the match neared its conclusion, Isaac Saviour added a second for Rangers in the 89th minute, but the goal was officially credited as an own goal after Saviour’s shot deflected off Ikorodu City defender Victor Ekujah, sealing the 2-0 win for the home side.
The victory moves Rangers up to 4th place, while Ikorodu City, despite their best efforts, drop to 7th position on the table, having failed to score in the match.
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Elsewhere in the NPFL, Enyimba ended their winless streak with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Lobi Stars at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium in Bauchi. Ifeanyi Ihemekwele scored the only goal of the match, lifting Enyimba to 8th place in the standings.
At the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City, Bendel Insurance secured a narrow 1-0 win over Katsina United. Emiloju Julius scored the only goal of the match in the 26th minute, securing all three points for Bendel Insurance while in the last action of match day 22 Kwara United defeated El Kanemi 2 nil at Ilorin township stadium.
