Enugu Rangers Exits CAF Champions League After Defeat to Sagrada Esperanca

Enugu Rangers faced elimination from the CAF Champions League following a 3-1 defeat to Angolan club Sagrada Esperanca on Sunday, leaving Nigeria without any representatives in the group stage. The Nigerian side exited with a 3-2 aggregate score after having taken a one-goal lead in the first leg of the second round qualifier last weekend.

In their latest match, Rangers fell behind 2-0 in the first half while playing in Luanda, as their opponents were unable to host the game in their home city of Dundo due to insufficient stadium standards. However, Anayor Ogbonna scored for Rangers before halftime, leveling the aggregate score at 2-2 and giving Enugu the advantage on away goals. Unfortunately, Jaime Pimpao netted the only goal of the second half in the 67th minute, putting Sagrada ahead once more and sealing Rangers’ fate.

This marks the fourth attempt for Enugu Rangers in the Champions League, and they have yet to reach the mini-league phase, which offers a substantial prize of $800,000 for the qualifiers this season. The other Nigerian team in the tournament, Remo Stars, also faced disappointment, losing to Moroccan club FAR Rabat in the first round last month.

Sagrada Esperanca, having previously reached the group stage only once in three attempts, advanced after the unexpected exit of fellow Angolan side Petro Luanda, who were eliminated by Maniema Union from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Meanwhile, Malian club Djoliba made history by becoming the first team from Mali to reach the group phase after a 1-0 victory over ASKO Kara, winning 2-0 on aggregate. Other teams qualifying on Sunday included former champions Stade Abidjan from Ivory Coast, FAR Rabat, and Al Hilal of Sudan, marking a significant return for Stade Abidjan after 54 years away from the competition.

Written By; Christopher Emuakpeje

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