Unpaid bonuses dog Rangers as team prepares to meet Bantu FC

• Clement, Silas yet to hit camp
The Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium Enugu has become a gathering point for football lovers in the Coal City, who throng the arena daily to watch their darling team, Rangers International’s training sessions.

Rangers began training for their CAF Confederation qualifier against Bantu FC of Lesotho on Tuesday after the Christmas festivities. According to one of the team’s stars, all the players are in camp, except for Bright Silas and Bobby Clement, who are expected to join their mates before they travel to Maseru for the first leg of the qualifier next week.

The player, who pleaded anonymity, told The Guardian that the team has begun intensive preparation for the game, which will determine whether Rangers will move to the group stage of the Confederation Cup or not.He said, “We started training on Tuesday with a few players, but we had a full squad today (Wednesday).

“Everything is alright, except that the management has not fulfilled their promise of settling all our entitlements.“We have not received any match bonus from the Confederation Cup and you know that things are usually hard after the Christmas celebrations.

“We thought all that would be paid before we resumed training, but nothing has happened. We are still waiting.”Rangers, which had a short Christmas and New Year break after beating USM Bel Abbes of Algeria in the previous round, are expected to travel to Maseru, Lesotho for the game against Bantu FC either on Monday or Tuesday. The match will hold on January 11, 2019.

The winner of the game against Bantu FC after the two legs will qualify for the group stage of the competition. Bantu FC dropped to the Confederation Cup after their elimination from the CAF Champions League.The second leg of the tie will be played in Nigeria at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Cathedral Stadium on January 18, 2019.The Confederation Cup is Enugu Rangers’ opportunity to win another continental cup, a feat they achieved for the only time in 1977, when they defeated Cameroun’s Canon Sportif 5-2 to win the now rested CAF Cup Winners Cup.