Rangers commence screening of players for Team B

Rangers International Football Club of Enugu have commenced screening of players for the club’s Team B, its General Manager, Davidson Owumi, disclosed said on Monday.

Owumi told newsmen in Enugu this was an effort to make the club a formidable force in the 2017/2018 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) season.

He added that the move would also help to ensure that the club has budding talents which would graduate to the main team from time to time.

“This screening kicks off on Monday (Nov. 20), and we are looking at talents within the ages of 15 and 19, and this exercise will be supervised by coach Olugbenga Ogunbote.

“The reason for this Team B is to ensure that budding talents from the South-East geo-political zone and other zones of the country are given opportunities to showcase their talents.

“We are however looking at having the best three players from the three senatorial zones of Enugu state to form the bedrock of the Team B.’’

Owumi said players from Enugu State and the neighbouring states will form 70 per cent of the team.

“The remaining 30 per cent is reserved for very talented footballers from other parts of the country and the world at large,’’ he said.

Owumi said the club management hopes to identify, nurture and develop local talents which would in the near future graduate seamlessly into the main team.

“The selected players will be on stipends while those of school age from other states would be enrolled into schools in Enugu where we have some understanding.

“Already, three players from A-10 Padora FC of Coal Camp have been penciled down to be looked at, with some of the young players that could not make the cut when the screening for the main team ended on Friday,’’ the GM said.

He said the club management was also working on appointing an Administrative Secretary for the club who must be an ex-Rangers player.

“Such a person must have gone through the National Institute of Sports (NIS), and he is to help inculcate the Rangers philosophy into the young players,’’ Owumi said.