Enugu, Nigeria – Following a thrilling victory in the CAF Champions League, Rangers International F.C. have been awarded a significant cash prize of $10,000. The bonus, presented by the club’s Chairman, Barrister Amobi Ezeaku, comes after their hard-fought 5-4 penalty shootout win against Sobemap FC.

The generous gesture is intended to invigorate the players’ morale as they prepare for the subsequent stages of the competition. The Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) champions demonstrated their resilience, drawing 1-1 with their hosts in the first preliminary round’s reverse fixture at the Stade de Kegue, Lome, culminating in a 2-2 aggregate score.

Rangers are now set to face Algerian club MC Alger in what promises to be another challenging encounter in the second preliminary round. The team’s dedication and recent success underscore their ambition in this prestigious continental tournament.

Brighton winger, Zadok Yohanna, will miss Nigeria’s upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers due to injury, as reported by DAILY POST. This marks another setback for Yohanna, who was previously withdrawn from the Super Eagles’ Unity Cup squad in May due to a hamstring injury.

The 19-year-old is expected to be out of action until after the international break next month. He has made two appearances for Brighton across all competitions this season.

Nigeria is set to host Madagascar in their opening matchday one encounter on Friday, September 25th. Following this, Eric Chelle’s squad will travel to face Guinea-Bissau for their matchday two fixture four days later.

Football pundit and former Barcelona striker, Gary Lineker, has weighed in on the ਇਸ season’s Champions League favorites, placing Barcelona, Arsenal, and Paris Saint-Germain at the forefront. Lineker notably predicts a Barcelona-Arsenal final, with the Catalan giants ultimately prevailing.

Lineker’s endorsement of Barcelona stems from a belief that they are “due” for a Champions League victory. Their dominant 5-1 win against Feyenoord in their opening match further strengthens this sentiment. Arsenal, fresh off a 1-0 victory over Napoli, are also considered strong contenders, especially after their narrow defeat to PSG in last season’s final. Lineker suggests Mikel Arteta’s side will come close again this term.

Speaking on “The Rest Is Football,” Lineker stated, “Those two teams [Barcelona and PSG] probably have to be favourites along with maybe Arsenal, but Barcelona are looking a bit tasty at present. I fancy Barcelona this season, I think they’re due. I’ve got a feeling that PSG are not going to win it this season and I think that it will be between Barcelona and Arsenal.”

As the Champions League season unfolds, it will be interesting to see if Lineker’s predictions hold true and whether Barcelona can indeed claim the coveted trophy.