Rangers Clinch Ninth NPFL Title as Nwobodo Double Sinks Ikorodu City

Rangers International of Enugu are Nigeria's champions again.

Captain Chidiebere Nwobodo scored twice as the Flying Antelopes beat Ikorodu City 2-1 at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena on Sunday to claim their ninth Nigeria Professional Football League title drawing level with arch-rivals Enyimba as the most decorated club in the league's history.

The Coal City side, who needed three points to seal the trophy on the final day, took the lead in the 30th minute when Nwobodo curled a spectacular finish past the Ikorodu goalkeeper.

He doubled the advantage before halftime, bundling home a rebound to make it 2-0. Ikorodu City pulled one back in the second half, but Rangers held firm.

"We came here to win this title, and these players delivered," said head coach Fidelis Ilechukwu. "Nwobodo led this team like a true captain when it mattered most."

Rangers ended the season on 68 points, one ahead of Rivers United, who also won on the day, beating their opponents 3-0. It is Rangers' second title in three seasons.

Bukola Olopade, director-general of the National Sports Commission, and NSC chairman Shehu Dikko were among the dignitaries who witnessed the climax of an enthralling title race.

"Nigerian football deserves days like this," Dikko said. "The quality and the drama we saw today is exactly what this league is capable of producing."

Hundreds of Rangers supporters who made the journey from Enugu to Lagos poured onto the pitch at full-time to celebrate with the players.

By winning the title, Rangers will represent Nigeria in the CAF Champions League next season alongside Rivers United, who secured the second continental berth.

The title win also settles who flies the country's flag in the CAF Confederation Cup a question that had hung over the final-day fixture since the two clubs entered the weekend separated by just a single point.

Nwobodo, who lifted the trophy amid a sea of red-and-black scarves, said the group never doubted themselves.

"The league is long and hard," he said. "We believed from the first day of the season. Today belongs to every single person who supported this club."

Rangers' ninth title puts them on equal footing with Enyimba of Aba, who have dominated domestic football for much of the past two decades.

The rivalry between the two southeastern clubs both rooted in cities less than an hour apart — now has a fresh competitive edge heading into next season.