The victory in Lagos confirmed Rangers as NPFL champions for the ninth time in the club’s history
Rangers International FC have been crowned champions of the 2025/2026 Nigeria Premier Football League season after securing a nervy 2-1 victory over Ikorodu City FC on a dramatic final day of the campaign.
The victory in Lagos confirmed Rangers as NPFL champions for the ninth time in the club’s history, sealing another landmark achievement for one of Nigeria’s most iconic football institutions.
Heading into Sunday’s decisive fixtures, Rangers led the table with 65 points, just one ahead of Rivers United FC, ensuring the title race stretched to the final day.
But the Flying Antelopes handled the pressure like champions.
Goals in each half from Captain Chidiebere Nwobodo secured victory against an ambitious Ikorodu City side that had entered the encounter still chasing continental qualification after a remarkable debut top-flight campaign.
Though Moses Ali pulled a goal back in the second half, it wasn’t enough to deny the Flying Antelopes the victory.
The result rendered Rivers United’s emphatic 3-0 outcome against Katsina United FC irrelevant as Rangers finished the season on top of the standings to reclaim the league crown.
The triumph capped a remarkable run-in for the Enugu club, who had seized momentum in recent weeks with crucial victories, including a defining away win against Bayelsa United FC in Yenagoa.
Rangers coach Fidelis Ikechukwu had attempted to shield his players from the growing tension surrounding the title race in the days leading up to the decisive fixture.
“We are not talking to players concerning this title too much because we don’t want them to be under pressure,” the coach told PREMIUM TIMES before the match.
That calm approach appeared to pay off as Rangers produced a disciplined and emotionally controlled performance under enormous pressure in Lagos.
The title victory further strengthens Rangers’ legendary status in Nigerian football.
Founded in 1970 shortly after the Nigerian Civil War, the Enugu club became a symbol of resilience and unity across the South-East and earned the famous “Never-Say-Die” identity that continues to define the team decades later.
Rangers remain the only club never to have suffered relegation from Nigeria’s top division.
The Flying Antelopes have now won league titles in 1974, 1975, 1977, 1981, 1982, 1984, 2016, 2024 and now 2026, in addition to multiple domestic cup successes.
They also made history in 1977 by becoming the first Nigerian club to win the African Cup Winners’ Cup.
This latest triumph arrives after one of the most fiercely contested NPFL title races in recent years.
For Ikorodu City, despite the defeat, their impressive rise from newly promoted outsiders to genuine title contenders remains one of the biggest stories of the season.
Elsewhere, Shooting Stars made a triumphant return to Continental football despite losing 1-0 to Niger Tornadoes in Minna.
At the bottom half of the table, El Kanemi Warriors and Remo Stars join Bayelsa United and Wikki Tourists as the relegated teams.
El-Kanemi Warriors were hammered 3-0 in Aba by Enyimba while a late equalizer in Benin saw Remo Stars relegate after a 1-1 draw against Bendel Insurance.
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