Mbah rewards rangers with land, ₦150m
Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, has announced a package of cash rewards and land allocations for players and officials of Rangers International F.C. following the club’s triumph in the 2025/26 Nigeria Premier Football League season.
The governor said each player would receive a plot of land in Enugu, while the team would be awarded ₦100m in recognition of securing a record-equalling ninth league title.
Mbah also approved ₦50m for the club’s management and additional plots of land for the general manager, secretary, head coach and assistant coach, describing the rewards as a fitting tribute to a team that had once again placed Enugu at the centre of Nigerian football.
Announcing the package after receiving the champions in Enugu, the governor said the players and officials had fully earned the recognition through their commitment and success on the pitch.
“What a season. What a team. They brought the trophy home again in style,” Mbah wrote on his X account.
“As a token of that appreciation, I announced a plot of land in Enugu for each player, a cash reward of ₦100m for the team, ₦50m for the management, and additional plots of land for the general manager, secretary, coach, and assistant coach. They have earned it, every bit of it.
“This is what pride in Enugu looks like. This is what belief in our own looks like. And today, I am truly happy.”
Rangers sealed the championship with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Ikorodu City F.C. on the final day of the campaign, drawing level with Enyimba F.C. as the most successful side in NPFL history with nine league titles.
The triumph concluded one of the most closely contested title races in recent years. Rangers finished ahead of Rivers United, whose 3-0 win over Katsina United ultimately proved insufficient to overturn the deficit at the top of the table.
Both Rangers and Rivers United will represent Nigeria in next season’s CAF Champions League, while Shooting Stars S.C. secured a place in the CAF Confederation Cup after finishing third.
The latest success further strengthens Rangers’ standing as one of Nigeria’s most decorated clubs and adds another chapter to a history that has long placed the Flying Antelopes among the country’s football aristocracy.
President Bola Tinubu was among those who congratulated the club, recalling Rangers’ dominance during the 1970s and 1980s when they emerged as one of Africa’s leading sides.
In a statement issued by his media adviser, Bayo Onanuga, the President highlighted the club’s rich heritage, noting its domestic successes, appearance in the 1975 African Cup of Champions Clubs final and victory in the 1977 African Cup Winners’ Cup.
“As one of the oldest clubs in Nigeria, Rangers have produced some of the nation’s finest football players who went on to make the country proud on the global stage. I am proud of their achievement,” Tinubu said.
The President also attributed the club’s resurgence to sustained investment in youth development and sporting infrastructure, describing those efforts as crucial to the continued growth of Nigerian football.