Photo Credit: Rangers International FC / Punch Newspapers
CAF Champions League: Rangers Beat Sobemap On Penalties To Advance
Enugu Rangers are through to the second preliminary round of the CAF Champions League after edging Benin Republic champions AS Sobemap 5-4 on penalties in Lomé, Togo on Friday.

The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) champions held their nerve in a tense shootout after the tie ended 2-2 on aggregate.

Rangers had drawn the first leg 1-1 last weekend in Abeokuta, and history repeated itself in the second leg at the Stade de Kégué in Lomé — Benin lacks a CAF-approved stadium, so the game was moved to Togo. Another 1-1 draw in regulation time forced the game straight to penalties.

It started badly for the Flying Antelopes as they missed their opening spot-kick, but Fidelis Ilechukwu’s men recovered to score five in a row. Sobemap faltered twice, missing their third and sixth penalties to hand Rangers victory.

The result is a relief for Rangers, who were eliminated in the preliminary round the last time they won the NPFL title in 2024. The club, whose biggest continental honour remains the 1977 African Cup Winners’ Cup, returned to Africa’s premier club competition hoping to make a stronger statement this season.

Rangers will now face the winner between Algerian giants MC Alger and ASN Nigelec of Niger Republic. MC Alger were held 0-0 in the first leg against Nigelec last week and play the decisive second leg on Saturday.

Source: Punch Newspapers –