REVENGE! As
Rangers seek Dolphin's pound of flesh By EMMA NJOKU Saturday,
August 11, 2007
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Rangers
player
Photo: Sun News Publishing |
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There could not have been a better opportunity for Enugu
Rangers International to avenge the painful defeat they suffered in the hands
of Dolphins of Port Harcourt in the final of the 2004 edition of Coca-Cola FA
Cup competition than the one that presents itself tomorrow.
Both sides
slug it out inside the main bowl of the new ultra-modern Teslim Balogun Stadium
in Surulere, Lagos, to determine the 2007 champions of the nation's most prestigious
football competition.
Rangers, popularly known as 'Flying Antelope' go
into tomorrow's epic final clash with an intimidating record of 10 previous appearances
in the final of the FA Cup history, out of which they have won the trophy a record
five times, the highest number by any team in the country.
But Dolphins
equally boast of an enviable record of three previous appearances in the final
in the last six years, winning the trophy in all occasions. The Garden City-based
side are the reigning champions. Tomorrow's encounter will be the fourth final
appearance by the team in seven years.
It promises to be an explosive and
thrilling encounter with soccer fans who will visit the Teslim Balogun Stadium
guaranteed the worth of their money and time. The last time both sides met
in the final of the competition in 2004 at the Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in
Benin, Dolphins smiled home with the trophy courtesy of a lone strike from petit
striker, Bola Bello, who prior to that match had been a subject of controversy
between the two sides.
Bello, who then had just begun top-flight football,
has since matured into a deadly striker, accounting for most of Dolphins’
goals, especially at crucial moments. The season has been that of mixed fortunes
for both Rangers and Dolphins. While Rangers had a dismal outing at the recent
Globacom Premier League Super Four play-offs, Dolphins got relegated to the lowly
rated National Division One League at the close of the abridged league last season.
This is why tomorrow's clash promises to be explosive, as both sides will throw
everything in their arsenals into the match to ensure victory.
There’re,
however, disturbing signals from the camp of Dolphins following the purported
resignation of Ifeanyi Onyedika, their technical adviser, after the team's disastrous
6–1 loss to El-Merriekh of Sudan in Omduram last weekend. However, Onyedika
has rescinded his decision and is now ready to lead the Garden City club in the
onslaught against Rangers. Also, the players have vowed to redeem their battered
image in Sudan with tomorrow's FA Cup final.
Coach Okay Emordi of Ranger
had earlier been handed an ultimatum by his employers to win the FA Cup trophy
or get fired. He will bank on the attacking trio of John Nnam, Nduka Ozokwo and
Sunday Mba to gun down Dolphins.
But Rangers must be wary of old fox,
Victor Ezeji, captain of Dolphins, who knows how to set up serial killer passes
to Bola Bello in the attack to do the damage on Dolphins opponents. Other players
who can prove too difficult for Stanley Onuegbu-led defence of Rangers are Gbenga
Ajala, Jacob Aikhovbare and Victor Babayaro.
Rangers must, however, avoid
allowing the match to drag into penalties, as Dolphins’ goalkeeper, Chijioke
Ejiogu, has proved to be a killjoy to opponents whenever matches involving Dolphins
drag into penalty shootouts. So, who will be the last team standing in this
year's Coca-Cola FA Cup championship, Rangers or Dolphins? |