Forget clean sheets! Why AFCON 2025 coach Ilechukwu's all-out attack could fire Rangers to NPFL glory

Enugu Rangers charismatic head coach Fidelis Ilechukwu knows the secret to winning the Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL, title - and it has nothing to do with keeping the ball out of his own net

Look at the numbers and you will see why I am convinced Rangers could win this title race. 28 goals scored, the most lethal attack in the top four. The flip side? 20 goals conceded, the leakiest defence among the contenders.

For most managers, that defensive fragility would trigger panic. But I believe Ilechukwu has identified a simple truth that will carry Rangers to glory: if you cannot stop them scoring, just make sure you score more.

And from where I am sitting, it is a strategy that is going to work brilliantly.

Rangers currently sit third in the NPFL standings with 39 points, chasing Nasarawa United and league leaders Rivers United. Yes, the leaders, led by under fire Finidi George,  have three games in hand, but I am certain that points already on the board carry more weight than hypothetical victories. As the old saying goes, a bird in hand is worth more than nine on the tree.

What separates the Flying Antelopes from their rivals, in my opinion, is pure firepower. With 28 goals to their name, only seventh-placed Niger Tornadoes have been more prolific across the entire division. That is not just impressive for a title challenger - that is the hallmark of champions in waiting.

The likes of Godwin Obaje and Chidozie Iwundu, two of the league's top scorers, have given Ilechukwu the ammunition to tear apart any defensive unit in the league. When you possess forwards of this calibre, I cannot see why you would not back them to outscore the opposition week after week.

Sure, the defence has been suspect. 20 goals conceded makes for uncomfortable reading, and it stands as the worst record among the top four sides. Traditional wisdom suggests you build title challenges on solid foundations at the back.

But here is what I think - traditional wisdom does not always apply in the NPFL, and Ilechukwu, who wants to take a leaf from Super Eagles' AFCON 2025 display, seems to understand this

From what I have observed, the Super Eagles assistant coach needs to construct a system built on attacking transitions and relentless forward momentum. By rotating young talents to manage fatigue and maintain intensity, he would have created a goal-scoring machine that simply overwhelms opponents. I suspect the message to his players when the defence wobbles is straightforward: go up the other end and score twice more.

It is bold. It is risky. And I believe it is exactly what will win them the title.

The run-in promises to be fascinating, and this is where I think Rangers will capitalise. Rivers United may sit top of the pile, but the pressure is mounting and the atmosphere around the camp is reportedly tense despite those games in hand. Meanwhile, momentum is quietly building in Enugu, and I am convinced that momentum will prove decisive.

In my assessment, Rangers have everything they need: the firepower, the momentum, and crucially, a manager who understands that in a league often characterised by cagey 1-0 home victories and defensive negativity, going toe-to-toe in shootouts can be a legitimate path to glory.

For the Flying Antelopes to lift the 2025/26 NPFL crown, I believe they must continue to embrace this attacking identity. Ilechukwu needs to keep the faith in his forwards, trust that goals will continue to flow, and accept that occasional defensive chaos is simply the price of doing business.

If Rangers maintain their status as the most dangerous attacking force in the division - and I am certain they will - those defensive lapses will be nothing more than a footnote in the story of a thrilling, goal-laden title win.

Sometimes in football, the best defence really is a bloody good attack. And I am backing Rangers to prove it.