Rangers International FC's hopes of clinching the President Federation Cup title were dashed on Wednesday as they suffered a 1-0 defeat to Kwara United in the semi-final match played at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan, Lagos.

Kwara United's Wasiu Alalade scored the decisive goal in the 48th minute, sending his team to the final and leaving the Flying Antelopes to rue missed opportunities.

The defeat is particularly painful for Rangers, who were looking to salvage their season with Federation Cup glory after losing the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) title to Remo Stars.

Ilechukwu Laments Slow Start

Speaking after the match, Rangers technical adviser Fidelis Ilechukwu expressed his disappointment but acknowledged that his team's slow start contributed to their downfall.

"This is really a sad loss for us as a team, but we have taken it as one of the outcomes of a football match. It was not destined to be our day," Ilechukwu said.

"Our first half was not too impressive, but we came back for the second half a better side, but that error at the back gave us away," he added, referring to the defensive lapse that led to Alalade's goal.

The loss marks a disappointing end to Rangers' cup campaign, which many supporters had hoped would compensate for their near-miss in the league title race.

Kwara United, meanwhile, will advance to the final of the President Federation Cup, where they will face the winner of the other semi-final match.

For Rangers, the focus will now shift to rebuilding and preparing for next season's competitions, as they aim to bounce back from this setback and challenge for honors once again.