Gbenga Ogunbote credits Enugu Rangers’ experience for Defence Force fall

Enugu Rangers head coach, Gbenga Ogunbote admitted that they were up against a difficult Defence Force  side but that their experience handed them the crucial 3-1 away win in the return leg of the preliminary round of the Caf Confederation Cup fixture played on Wednesday.

The Flying Antelopes went into the second leg with two goals advantage but they started poorly after they conceded a penalty in the first minute of the game. They clawed back to win through strikes from Bright Silas, Aguda and Kelvin Itoya.

The veteran tactician praised the effort of his players who were able to repel their opponents’ desire to level the aggregate scores after going ahead early in the encounter and he hinted that his players’ determination and experience in the competition helped them cage Defence Force throughout the second leg tie.   

“We thank God for the victory against a good side that love to keep the ball but failed to do the needful when it mattered,” Ogunbote told media.

“Experience gave us the edge knowing that we came here with a two-goal lead and conceding very early gave us cause for some concerns but we gradually came into the match and got the result we needed. Defence Force are not a bad side but we did well to take most of our chances while they did not. Looking ahead, we hope to make corrections in the areas noticed before our next match.

“Defence Force are a team that have been together for a while. They really understand the philosophy of the coach. It was after we scored against them that they started playing outside the game plan. We approached the game better than we did at home. We will try to make corrections anywhere we feel we need to do so before the next game.”