Rangers extend title-winning coach Ilechukwu’s contract

Nigeria Premier Football League champions Rangers International have rewarded head coach Fidelis Ilechukwu with a one-year contract extension, keeping the title-winning manager at the Enugu club until 2027, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

The new deal was confirmed following another championship-winning campaign that saw Ilechukwu guide the Flying Antelopes to their ninth NPFL title on the final day of the 2025/26 season, securing a decisive 2-1 victory over Ikorodu City at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Lagos.

The extension cements Ilechukwu’s standing as one of the most accomplished managers in Nigerian domestic football.

Since joining Rangers in 2023 after successful spells at MFM FC, Plateau United and Heartland, the 47-year-old has overseen two NPFL title triumphs, having also led the club to the championship in the 2023/24 season.

Known widely in Nigerian football circles as “The Working One,” Ilechukwu has transformed Rangers into the country’s most consistent side, restoring the Coal City club to the summit of the domestic game after years of relative underachievement.

With his future now settled, attention turns to the CAF Champions League, where Rangers will represent Nigeria next season.

The Flying Antelopes were eliminated in the second preliminary round of the 2024/25 competition by Angola’s Sagrada Esperança, losing 3-1 on aggregate, and will be keen to go deeper in their next continental outing.

Ilechukwu also serves as an assistant coach within the Super Eagles technical crew, adding a further dimension to his growing profile in Nigerian football.

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