Abdul Maikaba believes his Rangers side didn’t show enough hunger and deserved what they got against Gombe United on Sunday.
Gombe United secured a 1-0 win over Rangers in a matchday 37 NPFL fixture inside a capacity filled Gombe stadium, Pantami.
A 47th minute strike by substitute, Ibrahim Yahaya was enough for the home side to pick up the maximum points at stake as the ‘Savannah Scorpions’ stung the ‘Flying Antelopes.
A slip in the midfield saw Chidiebere Nwobodo robbed of the ball by an opponent, who raced clear of his markers to lay perfectly for onrushing Yahaya to blast home from inside the six-yard and send the large turn-out of spectators into wild jubilation.
Efforts by the visitors to find a way back into the match did not yield the needed dividends as the backline of the home side tightened its grip while goalkeeper, Itodo Akor also proved hard to beat.
Rangers’ gaffer, Abdul Maikaba, said after the encounter that, “We lost this game to a good side that showed more hunger despite the fact that my players started the game very well and had them pinned to their half for almost all of the first stanza.”
“However, the loss of concentration by my players in the second half let us down. We have to re-strategize ahead of the coming season as all we worked for this season has come to nothing.”
With the result, Rangers remain in 5th place on the twenty-team log with 53 points from 37 matches .
The Flying Antelopes will next play Akwa United in the last match of the season at the Awka City Stadium this Sunday.
