Chaotic scenes over the weekend as Rangers toiled for a nervy win at Ibrox against Hearts have been alluded to a similar scene by former Super Eagles defender Leon Balogun, Nigeriasoccernet.com reports.
Rangers secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Hearts at Ibrox Stadium, with Cyriel Dessers scoring the decisive goal early in the match. Dessers netted his third goal in as many games, giving Rangers the edge within the first six minutes of the game in front of the noisy home fans.
The 36-year-old defender and his Rangers teammates endured a tense afternoon at Ibrox on Sunday. Despite a 1-0 win over Hearts, the home side struggled to dominate the match, leading to frustration from the fans.
Balogun, who is currently in his second stint at Ibrox, reminisced about a tumultuous situation four years ago when Nigeria squandered a significant lead in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
Speaking after the tense victory, Leon Balogun revealed that the atmosphere was similar to when he was a regular with the national team and that such experiences with the Super Eagles prepared him for this kind of reception from the home fans at Rangers.
“Playing for the Nigerian national team actually prepared me, because believe me or not, they probably have just as much expectation as our supporters, he said.
“Let me put one out there. I was at Rangers at the time and we played against Sierra Leone. We were winning 4-1 – good for me as I came off after 60 minutes – and we ended the game 4-4. And on the way back to the hotel, some of the security stuff said, ‘don’t sit next to the windows.
“Some players closed the curtains and then five minutes into the drive, you turn the corner and they threw stones at the bus, our own fans. So I guess that kind of prepared me. The expectation of Nigeria was always really, really high. So I’ve met something like it before, and I think that helped me personally.
“It’s my fourth season at the club, I know what it can be like, and you just have to get on with it to be very honest, there are moments probably where you think, OK, that’s a bit unreasonable, but it’s just the club," he added.
By Olaleye Oluwadamilola