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By: Abiodun Adewale
Remo Stars coach Daniel Ogunmodede seems to be playing along with the mind games of his Enugu Rangers counterpart, Fidelis Ilechukwu, as both teams contend for the 2023/24 Nigeria Premier Football League title, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Rangers hold a tiny one-point lead at the top of the table with 57 points, followed by Remo with 56 points.
Remo were previously four points behind Rangers but cut the gap to one on Monday after beating Rivers United 2-1 in their rescheduled game.
The win boosted Remo’s charge for their first NPFL title and while Ogunmodede admitted their title dream, he also hinged it on Ilechukwu’s position of not chasing the title despite Rangers top of the table.
“I think it (the title) is in view because my friend (Fidelis Ilechukwu) said they are still building, so, we are trying to capitalise on the fact that they are building and we are trying to get the trophy,” Ogunmodede told the club’s media team after the game.
Rangers coach Ilechukwu has severally said winning the title this season is not the primary target given to him by his employers.
“I’m not thinking about the title. Enyimba, Lobi Stars and Remo Stars are thinking about it,” Ilechukwu said via 54footballx.
“We have a very young team and structure is what we are thinking of. Maybe next season we will talk about the title. If I’m thinking about that, I will be under pressure and I don’t want to be under pressure because the management did not tell me about that.”
On their hard-fought win against Rivers United, Ogunmodede praised Togolese striker, Fracnk Mawuena, who inspired the game and marked his return from a five-month injury with a goal and assist.
“Mawuena is a very important player for us. He got injured during our game against Akwa United in Uyo last November and after that, we’ve had a lot of goal droughts. Sikiru (Alimi) was struggling and almost all the attackers were struggling. This is a player that creates space for other players, a very selfless player. Look at the assist he made for Haruna Hadi too, on a very good day, another striker could have played the shot,” Ogunmodede said.
“We played a very good team and it was like a final game because there was no game at other centres and the attention was here. They made it difficult for us in the first half by scoring first. Nevertheless, we fought back in the second half knowing how important the points were.”