Rangers International head coach Fidelis Ilechukwu has admitted that his side must improve significantly as they turn their attention to the CAF Champions League after beginning their Nigeria Premier Football League title defence with a 1-1 draw against Katsina United.
The defending champions were held at the MKO Abiola Sports Arena in Abeokuta on Sunday, with Luis Dadong giving Katsina United the lead shortly before half-time, before Chibueze Oputa rescued a point for Rangers deep into stoppage time.
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For Ilechukwu, the result was not the performance he had prepared for, but he believes Rangers can use the opening fixture as a learning experience ahead of their continental assignment.
“I’m not happy, but a game like this, you’ve got something that you need. I think it looks like three points for us, inasmuch that this is not what we prepared for,” Ilechukwu said after the game.
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“We’ll go back home and start thinking, working and looking at what we’re going to do before our game in the Champions League.”
Rangers begin Abeokuta stay ahead of continental test
Rangers are using the MKO Abiola Sports Arena as their temporary home while renovation work continues at their Enugu stadium. The venue will also serve as their base for their CAF Champions League preliminary-round campaign.
The Flying Antelopes are scheduled to face Benin Republic’s AS Sobemap in the preliminary round, making their early familiarity with the Abeokuta turf potentially important.
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Despite the disappointing result against Katsina United, Ilechukwu praised the reception his team has received in Ogun State and acknowledged the support of the local fans.
“I want to first of all thank the fans, Abeokuta people, for the great support. It’s not easy to come here for a few days and get this kind of massive support,” he said.
“To me, it’s something that I don’t believe is going to happen. I think here is home, and there’s nothing we can do about it for now. So accepting it is a hat we need to do, and I think they welcomed us very well.”
The Rangers coach also revealed that preparations at the temporary base have been progressing well, insisting that the team has control over the mistakes that affected their opening league fixture.
“Our training sessions have been fine, it’s a great one. Everything is in our hands. All the errors and mistakes are from us,” Ilechukwu added.
“So we thank the fans for the support. But I think this goal is for the fans because of the support. And we’ll go back and work.”
Ilechukwu demands improvement
Rangers struggled to impose themselves consistently against Katsina United, although the coach felt there were signs of improvement after the interval.
“I think the second half was a little bit better than what we had in the first half. We’ll look at what we’re going to do. We have a lot of chances, but I don’t know,” he said.
The Rangers boss, however, insisted there is no reason for panic, pointing to the availability of most of his attacking options despite the absence of the club captain through injury.
“There’s no problem. We have the confidence. Almost all the front line was there, apart from our captain, who had an injury a few days before this game. Apart from that, everything was perfect.”
Rangers will now have to quickly switch their attention from domestic football to the CAF Champions League, with Ilechukwu and his technical crew expected to use the coming days to address the shortcomings exposed by the Katsina United game.
The Enugu side enter the continental campaign as Nigeria’s reigning champions after securing their ninth NPFL title last season, but their opening-day draw underlines the work required if they are to compete effectively on both fronts.
Other games
Meanwhile, Rangers’ draw was part of an entertaining opening weekend in the 2026/27 NPFL season, with nine of Sunday’s 10 fixtures completed and several teams making strong starts.
Matchday 1 results
Shooting Stars 2-1 Inter Lagos
Kwara United 2-2 Kano Pillars
Doma United 2-0 Sporting Lagos
Niger Tornadoes 2-1 Enyimba
Bendel Insurance 2-1 Warri Wolves
Barau FC 3-1 Nasarawa United
Rangers International 1-1 Katsina United
Rivers United 2-0 Plateau United
Ikorodu City 3-1 Ranchers Bees
The match between Abia Warriors and Kun Khalifat was abandoned in the 73rd minute due to heavy rainfall, with the remaining 17 minutes completed earlier on Monday, but still ended in a goalless draw.
READ ALSO: NPFL: Salisu Yusuf backs Shooting Stars to improve after winning start
Rivers United made an impressive start with a 2-0 victory over Plateau United, while Ikorodu City also began their campaign strongly by defeating newly promoted Ranchers Bees 3-1 in Lagos. Barau FC recorded another convincing victory, beating Nasarawa United 3-1.
Shooting Stars had already opened the new campaign with a 2-1 victory over newly promoted Inter Lagos on Friday.
For Rangers, however, the immediate priority is now clear: improve quickly, regain their sharpness and ensure they are ready when the demands of the CAF Champions League arrive.
The title defence may have started with a draw, but for Ilechukwu, the bigger test is already on the horizon.
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