The Nigerian Professional Football League champions Enugu Rangers are out of the CAF Champions League. Rangers crashed out of the continent’s elite club football after losing 3-1 away to Angolan club Sagrada Esperanca on Sunday.
Rangers were eliminated 3-2 on aggregate having won the first leg of the tie one-nil at Uyo a week earlier. With Rangers’ exit from the competition, Nigeria will not be represented in the money-spinning group stage. Nigeria’s other flagbearer at the competition, Remo Stars had been eliminated earlier.
Rangers were down 2-0 in the first half of the encounter in Luanda before a goal by Anayo Ogbonna reduced the deficit just before half-time, bringing the aggregate to 2-2. Rangers would have gone through on away goals had the scores remained that way. However, Jaime Pimpao sent the Angolans to the group stage with a 67th-minute goal to make the scoreline 3-1.
Enyimba International FC, on the other hand, managed to edge Etoile Filante of Burkina Faso in a penalty shootout. Both teams had failed to find the back of the net in both legs of their encounter, leaving their fate to a penalty shootout. Enyimba came out on top 3-2 to advance to the next stage of the CAF Confederation Cup.
