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Rumble in Ibadan as 3SC, Rangers clash Posted on Thursday, Dec. 3rd 2009
All looks set for Saturday’s make-or-mar Globacom Premier League Week 9 cracker between traditional rivals Shooting Stars of Ibadan and Rangers International of Enugu at the Liberty Stadium. The high-profile encounter kicks off at 4.00pm .
Rivalry between 3SC and Rangers dates back to the 70s and 80s when both teams pulled huge crowds to the Stadiums and elicited lots of excitement. Together they produced arguably the greatest set of players to have donned Nigeria ’s national team jersey.
But over the years they have both suffered contrasting fortunes.
While Rangers featured consistently in the Nigerian Premier League without winning any major laurels, 3SC have twice been relegated to the first division, and were last crowned champions of Nigeria via the FA Cup 14 years ago.
Regardless of the foregoing though, matches between these two giants of Nigerian football still engender widespread interest, and Saturday’s Week 9 cracker will be no different.
For the records, 3SC and Rangers last played against each other three seasons ago before Shooting Stars were relegated to the first division.
Saturday’s match is of utmost significance to the Oluyole Warriors in view of their precarious 16th position on the 20-team premiership log. Not surprisingly, the visitors will also be eyeing a rare away win to improve on their own not too pleasant 9th position on the table.
Shooting Stars coach Phillip Boamah, a former star of the team who had the opportunity of playing against Rangers in the 70s, is optimistic his team can rise up to the occasion and get a good result against their Eastern foes this weekend.
“Matches between Shooting Stars and Enugu Rangers have always been talk of the town. We are happy playing against them again, and we want to prove to our fans that we have corrected the mistakes we made in last week’s goalless draw with Ocean Boys.
“Obviously we want to use this game to re-launch ourselves and start winning again,” Boamah enthused.
By Mark Ogagan
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