Rangers’ blushes were spared as the Nigerian champions defeated Angola’s Sagrada Esperanca 1-0 in their CAF Champions League second preliminary round first leg match on Friday in Uyo thanks to a late goal from Kazeem Ogunleye in the second half.
Enyimba, the former champions of Nigeria, participated in the CAF Confederation Cup as well. In their second preliminary round first leg match, they managed to draw goallessly away to Etoile de Filante of Burkina Faso.
At the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, Sagrada proved to be tough opponents for Rangers, frustrating Fidelis Ilechukwu’s side’s attacking efforts with solid defending throughout the match.
For large periods, the Angolan side looked poised to secure a valuable away draw. But in the 80th minute, Ogunleye, who came on as a second-half substitute, broke the deadlock with a moment of individual brilliance.
The 18-year-old midfielder unleashed a powerful long-range shot from outside the box, leaving the Sagrada goalkeeper with no chance as the ball flew into the net.
The goal is Ogunleye’s first on the continental stage, a milestone in his burgeoning career after impressing in their title-winning season last term.
Rangers now take a slim 1-0 lead into the second leg, which will be played at the Estádio 11 de Novembro, Luanda, Angola, on Sunday, September 22.
The aggregate winner will secure a spot in the CAF Champions League group stage.
Enyimba will also return to Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, the only approved stadium for CAF games next week, hoping to make the group stage of the second-tier competition.
Rangers and Enyimba are Nigeria’s remaining representatives on the continent following the elimination of Remo Stars and El-Kanemi Warriors from the Champions League and Confederation Cup, respectively.
