Manyo: ‘We want to win in San Pedro to make the return leg easy for our fans’

Nigerian champions, Enugu Rangers and co-travellers in the CAF Champions League, Rivers United, are sure they will get good results in the first leg of their preliminary round games coming up this weekend.

While Enugu Rangers will host AS Sobemap of the Benin Republic at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta, Rivers United will be away to San Pedro of Cote d’Ivoire.

Rangers are expected to arrive in Abeokuta today to begin preparations for the game, which their coach, Fidelis Ilechukwu, has described as the opening game of their 2026/27 season.

Rivers United departed for Côte d’Ivoire yesterday from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, aboard an Air Côte d’Ivoire Flight with a stopover in Abidjan.

According to officials of Rivers United, the contingent of players and officials was expected to arrive in San Pedro later yesterday evening.

Rivers United will face FC San Pedro in the first leg of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League first preliminary round at the Laurent Pokou Stadium in San Pedro on Saturday, with kick-off set for 4:00 p.m. local time (5:00 p.m. Nigeria time).

In Abeokuta, Ilechukwu has promised that his players will punish AS Sobemap with the goals they failed to score against Katsina United in their opening game of the EuroMatch Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) last weekend.

Rangers fluffed many scoring opportunities in their 1-1 draw with Katsina United on Sunday.

Speaking on the CAF Champions League, Ilechukwu said that he is anticipating a thrilling encounter, adding that Rangers want to surpass their group stage exit this term.

He said: “The boys missed many chances against Katsina United, but we are working to correct that before the game against Sobemap.

“It’s going to be crazy because the management of Sobemap are here to monitor our game. But there is no problem because we will not give up on our boys.

“This is the most important time the team needs us to tell them this game against Katsina United is just a mistake,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Euromatch NPFL’s management has announced the indefinite postponement of the Matchday 2 fixture between former champions Enyimba of Aba and Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) of Ibadan due to Shooting Stars’ CAF Confederation Cup engagement against CS Sfaxien this weekend at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Ogun State.

The Euromatch NPFL said that both clubs have been informed of the decision, although no new date has been announced for the rescheduled fixture.

Enyimba head into the postponed encounter without a point after suffering a 2-1 defeat to Niger Tornadoes in their Matchday 1 fixture.

Shooting Stars, meanwhile, began their campaign on a winning note, defeating NPFL newcomers Inter Lagos 2-1 in Ibadan.