Nigeria’s most iconic club, Enugu Rangers, won a record-equalling ninth league title yesterday with a 2-1 victory away to Ikorodu FC. Cue chants of the seminal Rangers anthem from the hundreds of their fans at the Mobolaji Johnson arena in Lagos to supporters in beer parlours all over Enugu and on social media.
The song, as we know it, goes: “Holy, holy, holy, holy, Enugu Rangers is another champion”. Those fans, many of whom may have been born years after Rangers was formed out of the ashes of the Nigeria civil war in 1970, may not care to know about a correction that was made on social media today by an elderly Rangers fan who wrote: This is really funny. The song that we began in 1970 after the civil war as “Only only, Only only, Enugu Rangers is another savior” was corrupted into “Holy”.
“Never Say Die!”: Powerful & emotional documentary about Enugu Rangers premieres in London/Enugu
Not gonna lie, I’ve always wondered as a young Rangers supporter back in the day what “holy” had to do with football, even though as a young boy growing up in Enugu legends like Christian Chukwu and Emmanuel Okala were like gods in my eyes. That team of the golden years of the 1970s helped make Rangers an institution in the southeast of Nigeria, winning the league title in 1974, 1975, 1976 and 1977. This was all the more remarkable considering the devastation wreaked on the club’s catchment area during the civil war from 1967-70.
Three more league wins in the 1980s – 1981, 82 and 84 were followed by a 32 year barren spell that ended in 2016. After the 2016 victory, it took another eight years for the league trophy to arrive at “The Cathedral” aka the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium in Enugu in 2024. And they have done it again two seasons later.
Enugu Rangers back on top of Nigerian football where they belong
The common thread binding the last three league titles, apart from the “Never Say Die” spirit that was cultivated from the giants of the 1970s, is Rangers CEO Amobi Ezeaku. He was team manager in 2016 and returned as CEO to inspire the last two victories. His efforts in transforming the club are not going unrecognised. Abu Azeez Abolaji, the host of the Abuazeezpod, took to Twitter to acknowledge the impact of Ezeaku: This man @mobisezeaku already deserves a statue in Enugu state, he won the league with @Rangers_Intl in 2015/2016 as a team manager , he left and came to win the league in 2023/2024 season , the team struggled the following season, but came back to win the league again in 2025/2026 season …
CEO Amobi Ezeaku
With Ezeaku’s management skills behind the scenes, the current players such as captain Chidiebere Nwobodo, the two-goal hero against Ikorodu, are writing their names in Rangers folklore just like the legends of the past. In the glory days of the 1970s, more than half of the Nigerian national team was made up of Rangers players. The national team squad for the Unity Cup starting tomorrow in London has two Rangers players, Obinna Igboke and Chibueze Oputa.
This is quite some achievement in these times of the national team being dominated by foreign-based players. Another key success factor is coach Fidelis Ilechukwu aka “the Nigerian Mourinho”, who has now delivered two league titles to Enugu alongside temping as an assistant to the national team coach Eric Chelle. He was ecstatic in victory: I am grateful to God for the incredible so far & the support from the management, players, technical crew & the fans. Winning 2 NPFL in three years @Rangers_Intl is a big achievement for everyone at the club, including our #NeverSayDie fans all over the world.
Absolute scenes as Ilechukwu leads the celebrations.
Recent successes have definitely been on the back of Ezeaku’s and Ilechukwu’s hard work, collaborating effectively with well-wishers such as the state governor Peter Mbah, who provided buses to transport Rangers fans to Lagos to cheer the team to victory. Mbah tweeted after the title was secured: Today, Rangers International F.C. have made Ndi Enugu proud and reminded the nation of the strength, resilience, and winning spirit of our people.
Another big motivator for the players was Charlotte, North Carolina-based Benson Ejindu, the Grand Patron of the club. Ejindu told the players before the match: “Go to Lagos and win the title. We’re a solidly behind you”. He also put his money where his mouth is by vowing to pay 250,000 naira for each goal scored against Ikorodu. The euphoria from the league victory may motivate Ejindu to pay more beyond what he pledged.
As the players and the trophy arrived in Enugu today, work should start on building on this success and make a stronger fist of the African Champions League challenge next season. Crucially, a record-breaking 10th league title should be priority for next season.
Ezeaku and his management team should also redouble efforts to tap into the aura that surrounds the club. This was typified by rapper Aguero Banks, who celebrated the victory on Twitter with a shoutout to his hood in Enugu: 9 league titles . We are the champions once again, . The league title is coming back to Obiagu Enugu Nigeria, where stars are made !! Enugu Rangers is Another Champion!!!
Aguero Banks
Fans like Aguero Banks and the older generation, especially in the Diaspora, represent a strong revenue stream that could help the club wean itself of the need for government support. This means making a priority the marketing of Rangers merchandise globally. There have been reports on social media about Rangers shirts being unavailable at the club shop at Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium. In this digital age, club merchandise should be readily available on Amazon and other outlets. There’s likely to be a surge in demand following this victory.
Ezeaku and his team should aim to take advantage as success breeds success. “Never say die!!”
