Connect with us

Enugu Rangers Football Club broke a 32 year jinx to win the Nigerian Premier league in style  hammering El Kanemi Warrior 4-0 at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium also known as the Cathedral .

Rangers finished on 63 points  3 ahead odf second placed Rivers United.

The two teams will now represent Nigeria in next years CAF Champions league  a feat Rivers United Coach Stanley Eguma  describes as Magificent. Third-placed Wikki Tourists, who defeated Sunshine Stars 2-0, will feature in the CAF confederation Cup.

 

With three points separating them from second place, Rivers United (57 points), the Flying Antelopes wasted no time as Chisom Egbuchulam netted the opening goal in the third minute from the spot kick before Osas Okoro extended their lead to two before the break

At the resumption of the second half, Egbuchulam scored a brace to complete a perfect hattrick to the delight of the cheering Rangers fans, who had come   to celebrate their darling team to victory.

Elsewhere Port Harcourt based Rivers United, an amalgamation of Dolphins and relegated Sharks, finished their first-ever season in the Nigerian top flight in second place with 60 points from 36 matches and will now compete in the 2017 CAF Champions League.

“It is a pity we did not win the league title, but it is quite clear that we performed much better than a lot of people thought we would,” Eguma said after his team won 2-1 at Akwa United on Sunday.

“This club came into existence just days before the season commenced and we were a lot of people’s favourites to be relegated.“We suffered a lot, but I thank God that we have been vindicated in the end.

“We however knew what we were about and stood true to our values of hard work, discipline and total trust in God.

“Today, the result is there for all to see.

“To have gone into the final day (of the season) still with a chance to win the league is no mean feat.” an elated Eguma continued

Obomate Frederick and Guy Kuemian scored for Rivers United either side of half time, while Fortune Omoniwari claimed a consolation for the home team.

Meanwhile, Lagos club MFM FC escaped relegation with a 1-0 with over FC IfeanyiUbah in Agege  effectively sending Warri Wolves who despite winning 1-0 against relegated Ikorodu .

Heartland on the other hand could as well go down if the league management awards Plateau united with the points .The Owerri based club  needed three points away in Jos to be safe and looked sure to do it when Roland Koffi fired them ahead in the first half. But Bright Silas restored parity just after the interval. The game would be abandoned by the visitors with about ten minutes left on the clock and the league managers will decide what becomes of the result.

The results 

Warri Wolves 1-0 Ikorodu United

Wikki Tourists 2-0 Sunshine Stars

Abia Warriors 2-1 3SC

Akwa United 1-2 Rivers United

Lobi Stars 2-0 Nasarawa United

MFM FC 1-0 FC IfeanyiUbah

Kano Pillars 1-1 Niger Tornadoes

Rangers International 4-0 El-Kanemi Warriors

Plateau United 1-1 Heartland FC ( match abandoned with ten minutes to go)

The standings 

Team P W D L Pts GF GA +/-
1 same (1) Rangers International FC 36 18 9 9 63 53 37 16
2 same (2) Rivers United FC 36 19 3 14 60 38 29 9
3 up (4) Wikki Tourists 36 16 9 11 57 45 28 17
4 down (3) FC IfeanyiUbah 36 16 8 12 56 37 33 4
5 up (6) Lobi Stars FC 36 16 7 13 55 41 35 6
6 down (5) Sunshine Stars 36 14 11 11 53 44 37 7
7 same (7) Kano Pillars 36 15 7 14 52 47 40 7
8 same (8) El-Kanemi Warriors FC 36 16 3 17 51 37 42 -5
9 up (10) Enyimba International FC 36 14 8 14 50 34 35 -1
10 down (9) Nasarawa United FC 36 16 2 18 50 41 43 -2
11 same (11) Niger Tornadoes 36 15 4 17 49 40 42 -2
12 same (12) Plateau United 36 13 10 13 49 34 37 -3
13 up (15) Abia Warriors 36 12 12 12 48 35 39 -4
14 down (13) Akwa United FC 36 13 8 15 47 45 46 -1
15 down (14) Shooting Stars 36 14 5 17 47 41 48 -7
16 up (17) MFM FC 36 12 9 15 45 36 40 -4
17 up (18) Warri Wolves FC 36 12 9 15 45 29 38 -9
18 down (16) Heartland FC 36 11 11 14 44 25 30 -5
19 same (19) Ikorodu United FC 36 7 11 18 32 32 55 -23
20 same (20) Giwa FC 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

talking African football

More in Nigeria Premier League