Rangers advance in CAF Champions League

Enugu Rangers on Friday advanced to the second preliminary round of the CAF Champions League after defeating AS Sobemap 5-4 on penalties in Lomé, Togo.

The reigning Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) champions held their nerves in a dramatic first preliminary round second-leg encounter after regulation time ended 2-2 on aggregate.

Recall that the Flying Antelopes had ended the first leg tie in Abeokuta last Sunday in a 1-1 draw.

With neither side able to secure the decisive advantage during normal time, the qualification was settled through a penalty shootout, where Rangers prevailed 5-4 to book their place in the next round of Africa’s premier club competition.

ALSO READ: Champions League: Rangers need to fight more — Ilechukwu

CAF had identified the encounter as one of the decisive first preliminary round return legs, with the winners progressing to the second preliminary round.

The Flying Antelopes ultimately showed composure in the decisive penalty shootout to eliminate the Beninoise champions and keep their continental campaign alive.

Meanwhile, Rangers will now face MC Alger of Algeria in the second preliminary round with both fixtures scheduled for next month.

Related