Enugu Rangers’ head coach, Fidelis Ilechukwu, has voiced his concerns over the team’s performance in their recent CAF Champions League preliminary round matches against Zilimadjou. Despite progressing to the next round, Ilechukwu admitted that the team’s display was below expectations and emphasized the need for improvement in upcoming fixtures.
Speaking after the game, Ilechukwu acknowledged the fans’ disappointment and stressed that the team is capable of much better performances. “To me, it’s quite disappointing. I know the fans are not happy because we are better than this. But we can only promise work. We will always be positive when we are working. I believe in the team. I’m positive,” he said.
Ilechukwu expressed confidence that with more game time, particularly when the NPFL season resumes, the team will find its rhythm. He highlighted the challenges faced due to a lack of sufficient pre-season preparation, which impacted the team’s sharpness.
“We don’t have enough pre-season. It’s also part of the challenges we have. As time goes on, maybe after one or two NPFL games, the team will come back to shape,” he explained.
Despite the struggles in converting chances during the match, Ilechukwu remains hopeful about the team’s future performances. “We did a lot of work in converting chances, thinking that it’s going to happen, but we could not score a goal. But I think we have hope. We’ll still go back home and start working to make sure we enter the group stage.”
