Balogun plays first game for Rangers 61 days after suffering injury that ruled him out of AFCON

Published: January 21, 2022

Leon Balogun is back on the pitch again, exactly two months after he suffered a back injury in the closing minutes of Glasgow Rangers' semifinal clash against Hibernian in the Premier Sports Cup.

Balogun played his first game for Rangers under manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst as the Scottish champions thrashed Stirling Albion 4-0 to advance to the next round of the Scottish Cup on Friday night.

The return of Balogun brought an end to a streak of fifteen consecutive matches in all competitions for 2021 Super Eagles invitee Calvin Bassey, who had been deputising for the former Mainz 05 star at center back.

The injury suffered by Balogun 61 days ago forced him to withdraw from the Super Eagles squad to the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.

He is the third player originally named on Nigeria's roster for the ongoing tournament in Cameroon certified fit to play, after Victor Osimhen and Abdullahi Shehu who both pulled out of the AFCON roster largely due to fitness concerns.

The Light Blues secured passage to the last sixteen of the Scottish Cup courtesy of goals from Alex Lowry, James Tavernier, Cedric Itten and Fashion Jr.

Balogun was an unused substitute in Rangers' last Premiership clash vs Aberdeen and was on parade for an hour at Ibrox Stadium in tonight's comprehensive win against Stirling Albion.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

Photo Credit : rangersfc.co.uk

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