After emerging the South East zone’s Most Valuable Player in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) Youth League, Rangers youth team captain, Igwilo Chimaobi has set his eyes at leading the Coal City lads to win the national finals.
Chimaobi netted four goals in three games as Rangers won two matches and drew one to snatch the zonal ticket. He believes that the Young Flying Antelopes can achieve success in Benin given the training routines they have been put through since clinching the ticket to the finals.
“We have been working very hard to ensure that we represent our state very well in the national playoff in Benin”, Chimaobi told the club media.
Chimaobi, however, is not under rating other teams in the competition and acknowledged that it would not be an easy contest.
“It is going to be a tough championship, but by God’s grace, we shall celebrate at the end of the competition”, he predicted.
The NPFL Youth League holds at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium.
The championship finals for players aged below 17 years will be contested by five teams – Rangers, Remo Stars, Rivers United, Katsina United, and Plateau United.
Rangers squad, under the watch of Coach Basil Obeta, has been training twice daily since emerging the zonal champions. With Obeta as assistants are illustrious former Rangers players, Ejike Uzoenyi; and a former captain of the senior team, Okey Odita.
In his assessment of the players reaction to his training approach, Obeta said: “the boys are reacting well in training and management is fully supporting our training programs and giving us all we need to be fully prepared for the national playoff”.
“It won’t be easy, but with the quality we have in the team, I am positive about getting something good in Benin”.
The team will be travelling to Benin on 23rd February for their opening match against Katsina United on 26th February in an early kickoff.
