Togo have enjoyed the footballing edge over Nigeria in recent months, and therefore it was a great relief to see Enugu Rangers advance at the expense of ASC Kara in Sunday’s Caf Confederation Cup showdown.
It’s understandable that Rangers fans weren’t overwhelmingly confident heading into this showdown, having been defeated 2-1 by the reigning Togolese champions in the first leg in Lome a week earlier.
However, this Flying Antelopes side are a well organised and resolute unit under Benedict Ugwu, and Eziekwe Chinonso’s first-half goal was enough to see them through to the group stage.
There was always a chance that Ifeanyi George’s away goal from the penalty spot in the 32nd minute of the first leg was going to be critical in settling this one, and so it proved. The striker could have even added to his tally in the return match, but had a first-half effort saved by Noble John.
The Coal City-based club deserve immense credit for overcoming their first-leg deficit, reaching the group stage, and ending Nigeria’s miserable run against Togolese opposition.
Indeed, the West Africans’ fortunes against their nearby neighbours have been miserably recently.
It’s Togo’s fault that Nigeria won’t be present at the 2020 African Nations Championship after dispatching the Super Eagles 4-3 on aggregate during the qualification campaign.
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The Sparrowhawks’ 4-1 victory in Lome was decisive, ensuring that Sikiru Alimi’s valiant second-leg two-goal salvo act in the return leg in Lagos ultimately proved to be in vain.
Richard Nane, who struck twice against the Eagles in the Togolese capital, had also fired home a 92nd-minute winner in the first leg against Rangers, but fell just short of eliminating two Nigerian teams from two continental competitions in the space of a month.
As well as the Chan qualifying triumph, Togo had also got the better of Nigeria at the Wafu Cup of Nations last month, defeating Imama Amapakabo’s side in their opening game, in order to send the Eagles into the Plate competition.
Both sides both fell in their quarter-finals, with Nigeria falling to tiny Cape Verde, and Togo being eliminated at the hands of the Cote d’Ivoire on penalties.
Despite Nigeria’s relative size compared to Togo, they’ve struggled to dispatch the Hawks in recent contests, and therefore, it was a relief—from an Eagles perspective—to see Rangers finally change the narrative and ensure a measure of revenge.
Of course, Chan qualification would have been the biggest prize, but for Rangers’ players, the Confederation Cup represents an ideal platform for them to develop against more testing opponents and to build on their African Cup Winners’ Cup success of 1977.