CAF Confederation Cup: Why We Lost To CS Sfaxien - Gbenga Ogunbote

CAF Confederation Cup: Why We Lost To CS Sfaxien - Gbenga Ogunbote By Niyi Busari Nigeria's sole representative in the CAF Confederation Cup, Rangers' coach, Gbenga Ogunbote has blamed their 0-1 slim home loss to CS Sfaxien of Tunisian on mother luck, BSNSports.com.ng reports. Ogunbote during the post match briefing said his lads were unlucky not to have scired at least three goals adding that the Tunisian side were lucky to convert their only chance they created in the last group encounter. Coach of Rangers, Ogunbote said after the encounter, “I must say that today was not just our day. We had four balls hit the post and just their only effort at goal went in. It was a bad day in the office but my boys did their very best under a very harsh condition. We leave with our heads held high as we go back to the league to navigate our way back to the continent. I congratulate C.S Sfaxien for their win and qualification.” C.S Sfaxien head coach, Ruud Krool said at the post-match conference, “It was a well-managed game by my players and we got the victory to crown our efforts. Rangers gave us a good game but we stood our ground in a very challenging condition. We continue with our search for another continental glory at the end of the season.” Seven-time Nigerian league champions and reigning Aiteo cup champions, Rangers International F.C of Enugu, Nigeria, will play no more part in this year’s Total Confederation cup following a 0-1 home loss to Tunisian giants, Club Sportif Sfaxien. After a dominant display in a Group B, matchday 6 fixture inside the main bowl on Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu, Rangers were finally out of 2018/19 CAF Confederation Cup. The Olugbenga Ogunbote tutored lads did all that was humanly possible to snatch all three points at stake and bragging rights over their Tunisian counterparts but it was not to be their day as the proverbial ‘Mother Luck’ took leave to party somewhere else. It was a game that the ‘Flying Antelopes’ took time in getting on its strides as the visitors dictated the pace of the game in the early parts but when the quartet of Ajani Ibrahim, Aguda Godwin, Bright Silas and Ifeanyi George got on their groves, it took the brilliance of Sabri Ben Hassen to prevent a harvest of goals by the host under a scorching sun. Hassen stood firm to stop a fierce Ajani Ibrahim shot on 28 minutes which he spilled and had to gather on second attempt before any damage is done while the ‘Fox in the box’, Ajani watched in awe as his well-weighted shot greased the crossbar with Hassen in no-mans-land on 43 minutes after he was released by enterprising Chiamaka Madu. The Nigerians continued the second round as they ended the first half with the heat on the rise and could have taken the lead through Ifeanyi George, Godwin Aguda and Chidera Ezeh but the upright came to the rescue of the Tunisians on two occasions while Hassen was alert to stop one. Against the run of play, the visitors took the lead as Nassim Hnidy took advantage of slack defending by the hosts to nod home an inviting free-kick from a tight angle on 73 minutes to the bewilderment of the half-full stadium. Efforts to wrestle the chestnut out of a burning fire by the Enugu side proved abortive as a combination of delay tactics from the North Africans and some more misses capped the day for the former African Cup Winners champions. Rangers will now shift its attention to the NPFL where it hopes to challenge for a top-three finish in Group A to qualify for the end of season top-six championship.