L-R: Head Coach, Rangers International FC, Fidelis Ilechukwu; Chief Executive Officer, Rangers International FC, Amobi Ezeaku; Group Managing Director, Afrinvest West Africa, Dr Ike Chioke; Captain, Rangers International FC, Chidiebere Nwobodo; and Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Enugu State, Lloyd Ike Ekweremadu, during a post-match reception in honour of players and officials of Rangers International FC in Lagos… on Sunday. (Image credit: Plexus)

 Nigeria Premier Football League champions, Rangers International FC, have received glowing tributes from President Bola Tinubu and corporate stakeholders after securing a record-extending ninth league title, capping a dominant 2025/26 campaign that reaffirmed the Enugu club’s status as one of the country’s most successful football sides.

Rangers finished the season atop the NPFL table with 68 points from 38 matches, ahead of their closest challengers, Rivers United, to emerge champions for the second time in three seasons in what observers described as a remarkable resurgence for the Flying Antelopes.

In a statement issued on Sunday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President congratulated the club’s management, players and supporters for reclaiming the league crown and sustaining the rich legacy of one of Nigeria’s oldest football clubs.

The President recalled Rangers’ golden era in the 1970s and 1980s, when the Enugu side dominated domestic football and achieved continental success, including reaching the final of the African Cup of Champions Clubs in 1975 and winning the African Cup Winners’ Cup in 1977.

“I must also congratulate Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State on the victory of Rangers International FC. This victory is an obvious fruit of his administration’s investment in youth and sports in the state. I commend him.

“As one of the oldest clubs in Nigeria, Rangers have produced some of the nation’s finest football players, who went on to make the country proud on the global stage. I am proud of their achievement,” the President stated.

Tinubu also praised Rivers United for their strong campaign and sportsmanship throughout the season, while wishing both clubs success as Nigeria’s representatives in next season’s CAF Champions League.

The celebrations surrounding Rangers’ triumph gathered further momentum at a special dinner reception hosted in honour of the champions by Afrinvest West Africa Limited, one of the club’s major sponsors.

Speaking at the event, Group Managing Director, Afrinvest West Africa Limited, Dr Ike Chioke, described Rangers’ latest success as proof of discipline, resilience and institutional rebuilding.

“To win the Nigerian league once is difficult. To win it twice in three seasons is a statement. It speaks to discipline, hard work, resilience, consistency and belief,” Chioke said.

He described Rangers as more than a football club, calling the team “history”, “identity” and “the pride of millions of people across Nigeria and beyond”.

Chioke credited the Enugu State Government for sustaining investment in the club, while singling out Governor Mbah for supporting strategic partnerships capable of transforming football into a tool for youth engagement, economic growth and regional branding.

“When the opportunity for sponsorship arose in 2023, His Excellency immediately understood that football could become a powerful platform not only for sports development, but also for youth engagement, economic opportunity, regional pride and the positive branding of Enugu,” he stated.

According to him, Rangers’ title-winning feat vindicated the vision behind the partnership between Afrinvest and the club.

The Afrinvest chief also praised Rangers General Manager, Amobi Ezeaku, for introducing professionalism, structure and modern management systems that helped reposition the club as league champions again.

He reserved special commendation for Head Coach, Fidelis Ilechukwu, whose tactical discipline and leadership guided Rangers to two league titles in three seasons.

“Football is ultimately won on the training ground, in preparation, in tactics, in man-management and in the ability to inspire players to believe in themselves even under pressure,” Chioke said. “To deliver two league titles in three seasons is a tremendous accomplishment and Nigerian football must acknowledge the quality of work he has done with this team.”

Chioke equally hailed the players for their sacrifices throughout the campaign, noting that championships are built through unseen moments of discipline, pain, recovery and mental strength rather than only on match days.

He also acknowledged the unwavering support of Rangers’ fans, describing them as a vital force behind the club’s latest title success after standing by the team through victories and setbacks.

Since the commencement of Afrinvest’s partnership with Rangers in 2023, the club has won two league titles in three seasons, a development Chioke described as “vision meeting commitment.”

Beyond the celebrations, the corporate executive challenged stakeholders to use Rangers’ success as a catalyst for the broader revival of Nigerian football, insisting that the domestic league must become commercially stronger, attract global investment and offer improved stadium experiences.

“Nigerian football must rise again. Our clubs must become stronger institutions. Our league must become more commercially viable,” he said.

He urged younger players to remain disciplined, humble and focused, stressing that talent alone is insufficient without character and consistency.

For Rangers, however, the latest NPFL triumph represents more than another trophy. It signals the return of one of Nigeria’s traditional football powerhouses to the summit of domestic football and sets the stage for another continental campaign as the Flying Antelopes prepare to fly Nigeria’s flag once again in the CAF Champions League.

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