CAF CL: Rangers International vs U.S. Zilimadjou – Match Preview

Rangers International of Enugu will on Sunday, August 18, 2024, lock horns with Comoros Islands side, U.S. Zilimadjou in the first leg of the CAF Champions League, first preliminary round fixture at Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo by 15:00 WAT.

The Enugu-based side will play their home games in the Akwa Ibom Capital due to the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium being below CAF standards.

Twenty-six players, coaches, backroom staff, and other top management officials of the Flying Antelopes arrived in Uyo on Wednesday, August 14, the same day their opponents arrived in the country.

The NPFL champions will also host the return leg at the same venue on Friday, August 23, following the disapproval of U.S. Zilimadjou’s 14,000-capacity Baumer Stadium in Moroni. Rangers Coach, Fidelis Ilechukwu, stated that his men will look to capitalize on this rare advantage. 

“Playing both legs in Nigeria is an advantage, as it reduces stress and allows us to focus on the game. We’ve built a squad that can perform anywhere, and we’re 100% prepared for this match.”

Enugu Rangers are one of the three oldest clubs in Nigeria and the only Nigerian club never to have been relegated from the Nigeria Premier Football League.

The club has had seven appearances in the African Cup of Champions Clubs from 1971 to 1985 and three appearances in the CAF Champions League from 2006 to 2017. 

Rangers would be looking to advance past the second round in the CAF Champions League for the first time in their history but would have to get past US Zilimadjou in the first round. In 2006 and 2017, they exited the competition in the first round, while in 2013 they could not get past the Second Round.

Their opponent, US Zilimadjou, is one of the most successful teams in Comoros Premier League history, having won the league five times, the most recent being the 2023-24 Season.

US Zilimadjor’s last participation in the Champions League, according to Transfermarkt, was during the 2020/2021 season in a 5-1 aggregate loss to Botswana’s Jwaneng.

The Comoros outfit has also been on an 11-match unbeaten streak since their last defeat in February.