By Stanley Nwanosike
Enugu – Fans of the last season league champions, Rangers International FC, have appealed to the club to excel in the ongoing 2016/2017 Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) season.
They told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Enugu that they were worried by the “under performance’’ of the club in the season.
NAN reports that the team won a match, lost one, drew three matches to get six points in the five matches played so far.
Rangers, also known as Flying Antelopes, currently occupy 12th position on the table.
Ifeanyi Okonkwo, a fan of the Enugu-based club, told NAN that he had made verbal complaints to the club’s technical crew to find a solution to the poor start in the season.
Okonkwo noted that that the current players seemed different from those that displayed gallantry last season.
“After our 32 years of struggle before we won the league, it will be fair if the club starts well in the ongoing season.
“As someone that believes in the philosophy of the club and followed it all my life; I know that the present performance of Rangers is unbecoming.
“I have personally met some members of the technical crew and verbally expressed my displeasure to them,’’ he said.
Another fan, Sunday Okwu, said that he was worried that teams that dread Rangers last season would hold the club to a draw at the club’s home base in Enugu.
“They either perform or the club is overhauled, starting with its technical and coaching crew down to the players,’’ he said.
Elder Joseph Ede, one of the sponsors of the team’s supporters’ club, said that recently the fighting spirit of the team had faded.
Ede advised the league champions to return to its winning ways to restore the confidence of its teeming fans.
NAN recalls that Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, on Monday approved the appointment of former Super Eagles Captain, Christian Chukwu, as Chief Executive Officer and Manager of Rangers FC.
The appointment is to halt the continuous unimpressive run of the club in the current football season.
Rangers will play its match day-6 encounter with its oriental rivals, FC Ifeanyi Uba of Nnewi, on Sunday at the FC Ifeanyi Uba Stadium, Nnewi.
