Rangers International midfielder Ikechukwu Ibenegbu has said the Flying Antelopes are not scared of Togolese champions, ASC Kara ahead of their CAF Confederation Cup first leg playoff tie in Lome this weekend.

In another battle between Nigeria and Togo, Kara, who parades several players in the Sparrow Hawks side that recently eliminated the Super Eagles B team from 2020 African Nations Championships (CHAN), will host Rangers at the Stade de Kegue in the first leg on Sunday, with the reverse fixture slated for Enugu on 3 November.

“We’ve heard so much about the team that they have about seven players in the home-based national team,” the former Enyimba player said. “Having said that, we know that they are a very good side, and we are equally good.

“We are not going to fear them; we are going to give them maximum respect. And we are going to face the task to make sure that we get a very good result in Togo, then coming back home it will be a mere formality for us to qualify to the next stage.”

The former Heartland and El Kanemi Warriors playmaker also informed that Rangers, who reached the group stage of the competition last season, are focused on, at least, playing in the final this term, adding that Kara won’t be taken for granted.

“We have continued pushing for our target because before the season started, we set a target of reaching the final of the CAF Confederation Cup if not winning it. I think this is one of the matches we are looking upon.

“And we’ve heard so much about the team, they are a very good side. Aside that, no African team is smaller. We are training very, very hard, preparing for the great encounter.”

Winners of the two-legged tie will advance to the group stage of this season’s CAF Confederation Cup.

No Nigerian side has been able to win the competition since it adopted its new guise in 2004.