The Interview Editors
How ready is Rangers for the crucial match on Sunday?
We know that we hold the future of Nigeria as it concerns the Continental tournament, so we are training so hard to achieve this.
Few days ago, two of our players – Tony Shimaga and Ibrahim Olawoyin were fielded against Togolese home-based team in Lagos and we drew some lessons from that game.
We also had some of our coaches at the Agege Township Stadium because we understood that about six ASC Kara players played in that CHAN qualifier for Togo.
So we want to make sure we leave Lome on Monday after the match with our head high.
Are you promising Nigeria that Rangers will avenge the non-qualification of the country for the CHAN by Togo?
No, we are not playing for vengeance. We are playing for respect and because we are Nigerians, we are playing because Rangers is a team everybody is looking up to. We are playing because we are Rangers and we “never say die”.
From the information available to us, the team is a team that keeps the ball on ground at midfield. We have capable players like Ikechukwu Ibenegbu, Tony Shimaga, Isiaka Oladuntoye, Ibrahim Olawoyin and lot of others who can hold them down. Anything they bring, we will counter them. It’s fire for fire, water for water
What are the special things you have been doing to prepare the team?
The General Manager of Rangers, Davidson Owumi, and the Head coach, Benedict Ugwu Surugede, were players with Rangers, worked for Rangers and are now working for Rangers in these capacities.
They have seen it all in football. Every day they talk to the players and engage them in serious training.
As at the moment, we have four departments of training differently – the attack, the midfield, the defence and the goalkeeping.
From the information available to us, the team is a team that keeps the ball on ground at midfield.
We have capable players like Ikechukwu Ibenegbu, Tony Shimaga, Isiaka Oladuntoye, Ibrahim Olawoyin and lot of others who can hold them down. Anything they bring, we will counter them. It’s fire for fire, water for water.
Apart from the last match with AS Pelican of Gabon, have you had any other match to test the players in real game situation?
Yes. There are many football clubs in and outside Enugu with which we engaged in friendly matches like Lamry, Giant Brillers and Heartland of Owerri.
We recently relocated to a natural grass field to get our boys used to the grass because we will play on a natural grass at Lome.
Any injury worries from the team ahead of the game?
None yet, we have no injury in the team. Every other problem is psychological and our psychologist – Emeka Onaga, is on top of the situation.
We promise to make everybody proud after the match.
