Enugu Rangers: Tale of A Defending Champion Heading Towards Relegation

Enugu Rangers football club were historical last season, winning her seventh Nigerian professional premier league and becoming the second football club in Nigeria's top flight premier league to have won the title seven times after Enyimba of Aba. Football fans and pundits believed that the Enugu based club would probably improve on their recent achievement in the next season by at least maintaining the top four position. But their current position is a clear contrast of  what they achieved. Enugu Rangers finished top of the table last season with 63 points, after winning 18 matches, drawing 9 and losing 9. The victory brought joy to the people of Enugu, as the 32 year old jinx was eventually broken, since the club last won the title in 1984. But now, Enugu Rangers are comfortably seated in the relegation zone with 20 points after 17 matches, having won 5, drew 5 and lost 7 matches. Though they are 18th on the table, they are tied on points with Rivers United who are trailing them. If the season ends with this position what it means is that a defending champion in the Nigeria professional premier league would go on relegation, a story which may may not go down well with fans and the government and the people of Enugu state after waiting for a long period to win the title for a seventh time.