Bright Silas Strikes Twice To Send Rangers To Playoff Round of CAF Confederation Cup

Rangers International FC of Enugu are through to the playoff round of the Total/CAF Confederation Cup (CCC) after a first-half brace from Bright Silas gave the Flying Antelopes a two nil aggregate victory over Algerian outfit USM Bel Abbes in the 2^nd leg of their CCC First Round knock out played at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium on Sunday.

The Enugu based side had secured a highly creditable goalless draw away in Algeria in the first leg and while head coach Gbenga Ogunbote had said Rangers were “condemned to win” today’s match, the Algerians knew that a score draw would send them through.

The Flying Antelopes flew out of the blocks at the blast of the whistle and USM Bel Abbes had barely settled when Bright Silas struck in the fifth minute to put Rangers ahead.

The forward struck again on the stroke of halftime to put Rangers firmly in control of the match and Rangers went into the break with their destiny firmly in their hands.

The Nigerian Cup champions maintained the scoreline in the second half in which USM Bel Abbes’ Boualem Mesmoudi was sent off in stoppage time, to win two nil on aggregate and secure progress to the playoff round of the CAF Confederation Cup.

It has been a positive few days for Nigerian sides on the continent after Lobi Stars qualified to the group stage of the CAF Champions League (CCL) for the first time in 18 years on Saturday.

Rangers will now face one of the losers from the CCL final qualifying round in the playoff round with the 2^nd leg of that encounter to be played at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu.

The Flying Antelopes last made the round of the CCC I’m 2017 after they dropped to the competition from the CAF Champions League.