Rangers International Football Club of Enugu beat visiting Nasarawa United FC of Lafia 2-0 in the ongoing Nigeria Professional football League (NPFL) on Monday.
Godspower Aniefiok put Rangers in front in the second minute of the Match Day 17 fixture with a powerful header to Osas Okoro’s cross.
Chinonso Eziekwe made it 2-0 in the seventh minute from Isaac Loute direct free-kick.
The second half ended without a goal as the visitors raised their game to reduce the deficit.
Speaking after the match, Bala Nikyu, the coach of Nasarawa United, said his players’ carless mistake in the early stage of the match caused them the match.
“Football is all about winning and losing and two teams cannot win at the same time.
“Looking back at the two goals, they were the result of carless mistakes and that was part of football,” he said.
The coach said they, like every other club, have the ambition of winning every match. “But you cannot win all matches.
“In the course of the league, you win many and lose many. So, we are going home to prepare for our next match against Abia Warriors FC of Umuahia.“
Rangers’ assistant coach, Mangut Mbwas, hailed his players for winning the match and noted that the early goals did the magic for them.
“We won the match because of the early goals and they destabilised our opponents.
“Nasarawa United are a good team and we planned to get a goal through whatever means the game of football allows.
“In football, matches are being won and lost through errors and if you do not commit error, there will be no goal.
“If our opponents’ coach said that his team conceded the two goals through careless mistakes, that was part of football,” Mbwas said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Rangers now occupy the second position on the NPFL log with 30 points from 17 matches.