Match: Enugu Rangers  vs 3sc Shooting Stars

Venue: Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu

Date: Sunday, December 19

Time of Match: 4PM Nigerian Time

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Cast your mind back to the late 70's/early-mid 80's, this was the most anticipated match in the Nigerian League cos of the fierce rivalry that existed between both teams and the quality players they paraded. 3Sc nicknamed the Oluyole Warriors and popularly called ''Sooting'' by their teeming fans, in those days paraded the likes of Segun Odegbami, Best Ogedegbe, Felix Owolabi, Mudashiru Lawal, Taiwo Ogunjobi etc while the Flying Antelopes from Enugu, Rangers FC paraded Christian Chukwu, Aloysius Atuegbu, Patrick Ekeji, Adokie Amiesimaka, Emmanuel Okala to mention a few

In those days, everything was put on a hold during match day as people trooped to the stadium in either Enugu or Ibadan from far and wide to watch this game. The stadium was always filled to capacity and getting to the stadium later then 11am/12pm (for a match starting many hours later) meant sitting out the match. . . .YES, that was how intense and important a Rangers vs 3Sc match was in those days.

This football rivalry that has spanned four decades will be rekindled tomorrow in Enugu at the 25,000 capacity Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium when Rangers FC (one of the only 2 teams that has never been relegated in the Nigerian league) which is in the 9th position on the log table after a 3-0-3 record square up against 4th placed 3Sc Shooting Stars of Ibadan which possess a better 3-1-2 record in a week 7 match of the 2010/2011 Nigeria Premier League.

3Sc coach, Fatai Amoo will have to bring all his experience to bear to make sure his side does not go down to a Rangers team which has been in devastating form this season in front of their home fans putting 5 goals past Ocean boys and Zamfara United in week 3 and week 5 respectively. His boys will also need to keep a close eye on Uche Nwafor who joined the Flying Antelopes from Shooting Stars at the end of last season and has been in good form since the start of the season.

Coach Alphonsus Dike of Rangers will be pleased with the fact that the statistics of the last 6 head-to heads favour his team in a 3-1-2 record and his side didn't conceded a goal at home in all those matches.

So which way will the pendulum swing?. . .Rangers or 3Sc's or perhaps it come to rest equidistant between the two teams? We'd only know at the end of 90 minutes on Sunday

Meanwhile, drop your comments and let's know what you think. . . . .^^^^


N.B: Match will be beamed LIVE by Supersport

I am rooting for rangers the boys from the coal city and i believe with the home support they should carry the day.

This is a derby match that goes back to those days and i hope the present players will keep the spirit alive.

There is another tough match this weekend . . . Heartland vs Kano pillars.



Kickoff Nigeria is very stupid . . imagine they do not have a special coverage for these two matches or don't they see how Europeans hype their derby matches.

Pharoh:

I am rooting for rangers the boys from the coal city and i believe with the home support they should carry the day.

This is a derby match that goes back to those days and i hope the present players will keep the spirit alive.

There is another tough match this weekend . . . Heartland vs Kano pillars. 



Kickoff Nigeria is very silly . . imagine they do not have a special coverage for these two matches or don't they see how Europeans hype their derby matches.   

no, not a derby match. 3sc -> Ibadan(South West), Rangers -> Enugu(South East).
However, I see it as a classic tie. Both teams are traditional sides in the league with a lot of history. . .
I'll go for a Ranger's win. Ranger's have been nothing short of imperious at home. They've not only beaten their opponents, they've done so in spectular fashion, scoring lots of goals.
3sc are also doing well and currently sit 4th on the table but Rangers at home will be more than they can chew
Prediction: Rangers 2 3sc 1

I would stick my neck out for Enugu Rangers.

I hope shooting stars can take a draw out of Enugu,its possible cos they got some good players and the experience of Kabiru Alausa

Uhmmm, Rangers should win this hands down.

Pharoh:
This is a derby match that goes back to those days and i hope the present players will keep the spirit alive.

In the real sense of the word, it's not a derby but traditionally & historically it is

Pharoh:
There is another tough match this weekend . . . Heartland vs Kano pillars.

The match is on sunday, same time with the Rangers vs 3Sc match. . .bad planning/scheduling by the NPL, it should have been put on Saturday.

Pharoh:

Kickoff Nigeria is very silly . . imagine they do not have a special coverage for these two matches or don't they see how Europeans hype their derby matches.

You dey mind them. . .I was shocked myself when I checked their website early this morning and there was no coverage/story concerning the Rangers vs 3Sc, Heartland vs Kano Pillars or any Naija league match for that matter.

kickoff Nigeria should even have progressed to posting live minute by minute commentaries of a selected league star match and giving us LIVE scores of others. . ._{na wetin lots of oyinbo football sites dey do be that na}

Match ended 2 nil in favour of Rangers.

Rangers could have won by as many as 5 goals if they had converted their many scoring chances