Match Report: Plateau United snatch victory from Rangers in dying seconds
Plateau United snatched a dramatic 2-1 victory over Rangers International in the Nigerian Premier Football League (NPFL) on Wednesday, 6 December 2023 thanks to a late header from defender Doyeni in the 94th minute.
Rangers had fought valiantly to salvage a draw after Chidiebere Nwobodo cancelled out Moses Adikwu’s early opener for the Peace Boys. However, Doyeni’s intervention at the death shattered their hopes and sent the home fans into raptures.
The win sees Plateau United climb to 10th on the NPFL table, while Rangers remain in the bottom half of the standings.
Doyeni Delivers Late Winner
Plateau United started the brighter of the two sides and took the lead in the 3rd minute through Adikwu, who capitalised on Itodo’s long throw.
Rangers responded positively and equalised just before the quarter-hour mark when Nwobodo tapped home a rebound from Bamidele.
Both sides had chances to win the game in the second half, but it was Doyeni who proved to be the hero, heading home Uche’s cross in the dying seconds of the match.
Ilechukwu Laments Missed Opportunities
After the match, Rangers head coach Fidelis Ilechukwu acknowledged the spirited performance from both teams. He attributed their defeat to hard luck and missed opportunities.
“The game had been played. They won, congratulations to them, good team,” Ilechukwu said. “Good football from both sides, I think the game was okay, it’s one of the games where we showed that we are capable to get an away point, but today it was just hard luck, and that’s football.”
Ilechukwu also addressed his players’ inability to convert their chances, stating that he would continue to encourage them. “It’s football, the most important thing is to keep on pushing them, encouraging them,” he said. “At least we had two chances, but we couldn’t convert them, and that’s what makes football fantastic. Today is a sad day for us. As technical advisor I understand, it just means we keep on moving, we lost the point here, but we can get it another place. That’s football.”
He concluded by acknowledging the carelessness and lack of concentration that allowed Plateau United to score the late winner. However, he believes it can be rectified.
Mangut Delighted with Victory
Plateau United coach Mbwas Mangut expressed his delight over the victory, particularly considering the team’s recent long journey. He attributed the win to their intelligent selection and formation of players.
“Well, today we started very well, we got a goal early, but we lost concentration, and they had an equalizing goal,” Mangut said. “And also we are a team that just came back from a long distance journey, which I was able to shuffle some of the players and that will be another factor. We thank God that at the end of the day, we were able to come out victorious.”
Mangut’s target is to secure a top-flight position for the team and ensure that every player contributes offensively. “Well, I can say we are slow somehow because we haven’t yet got our way to total victory,” he admitted. “But the target with the team is being in the top flight. I think we are not going to be an exception. It’s so hard to get there. You can see today that two central defenders scored. I want it to be a team that every player can score. It’s the primary duty for strikers to score, so unfortunately we are struggling in other areas, we will still be working to see how prepared.”
Matchday 12 results
NPFL MATCHDAY 12 RESULTS
◉ Abia Warriors and Sporting Lagos ended in a 1-1 draw.
◉ Sunshine Stars secured a 1-0 victory against 3SC.
◉ Heartland won 1-0 against Bendel Insurance.
◉ Lobi triumphed 1-0 over Gombe United.
◉ Kano Pillars secured a 1-0 win against Akwa United.… pic.twitter.com/VfjS6ZTlRQ— Made In Africa Sport (@madeinafricaweb) December 6, 2023
What’s Next
Rangers International will face Bayelsa United on 10 December, while Plateau United will travel to Niger Tornadoes on the same day.
