Nigerian champions Rangers International have been knocked out of the CAF Champions League after losing 3-0 to Algeria’s MC Alger in the second leg of their tie, suffering a 3-2 aggregate defeat.
The Flying Antelopes saw their continental campaign end on Friday after the Algerian side scored three times in the second half to overturn the advantage Rangers had taken into the return fixture.
Bokholda opened the scoring in the 58th minute before Bangoura doubled the hosts’ lead in the 84th minute. Bayazid then struck in the third minute of stoppage time to complete the comeback and secure MC Alger’s passage to the next stage.
Rangers had entered the match hoping to protect their aggregate lead and continue their campaign in Africa’s leading club competition. However, they were unable to withstand the pressure from the home side, whose late goal proved decisive.
The defeat ends the Enugu-based club’s hopes of progressing further in the tournament and represents a setback for the reigning Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) champions.
MC Alger seize control after half-time
The contest was goalless until the 58th minute, when Bokholda found the net to give MC Alger the lead on the night and revive their hopes of advancing.
The breakthrough increased the pressure on Rangers, who needed to prevent the Algerian hosts from adding to their advantage if they were to preserve their position in the tie.
MC Alger continued to attack as they searched for another goal that would shift the balance of the contest further in their favour.
Their efforts paid off six minutes from the end of normal time when Bangoura scored in the 84th minute to make it 2-0.
The goal left Rangers facing an increasingly difficult task, with MC Alger now in a position to overturn the aggregate deficit and claim qualification.
The Algerian side maintained their attacking approach as the match entered stoppage time, seeking the third goal that would put them ahead across the two legs.
Bayazid delivers decisive stoppage-time goal
MC Alger completed their turnaround in the 90+3rd minute when Bayazid scored from a corner kick.
The late strike extended the hosts’ advantage to three goals in the match and secured a 3-2 aggregate victory.
It was the decisive moment in a second leg that had remained goalless for nearly an hour before MC Alger began their comeback.
Rangers were unable to find a response to the three second-half goals, allowing the Algerian side to progress at their expense.
The result also highlighted the importance of set-piece situations in the contest, with the original report noting that two of the goals conceded by Rangers came from corner-kick situations.
For MC Alger, the victory completed a successful recovery from the first-leg deficit and confirmed their place in the next stage of the competition.
Rangers’ continental campaign ends
The defeat brings an end to Rangers International’s latest attempt to advance in the CAF Champions League.
The Nigerian champions had been seeking to continue their country’s representation in the continental tournament, but their failure to contain MC Alger after the interval proved costly.
After keeping the match goalless through the opening 57 minutes, Rangers conceded three times in the second half, including Bayazid’s decisive stoppage-time effort.
Their inability to preserve the aggregate advantage meant they were eliminated despite entering the return fixture with hopes of reaching the next round.
MC Alger, meanwhile, will move forward in the competition after producing the goals needed to reverse the outcome of the tie.
For Rangers, attention will now turn away from the continental campaign following a disappointing exit for the reigning NPFL champions.
