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SUPER EAGLES’ STARS, ARIBO & BALOGUN IN HISTORIC SCOTTISH LEAGUE WIN WITH RANGERS

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Two Nigeria national football team players, Leon Balogun and Joe Aribo have won the Scottish Premier League with Rangers to end the club’s 10-year wait. The achievement came following Celtic’s goalless outing at Dundee United on Sunday.

Steven Gerrard’s team moved to the brink of sealing the championship for the 55th time in their history when they beat St Mirren 3-0 on Saturday, sparking wild scenes of celebration both inside and outside Ibrox.

And now they have been mathematically confirmed as champions after bitter rivals Celtic dropped points in a goalless draw at Tannadice.

Celtic saw 26 shots on goal come and go as they failed to score at Dundee United, the result leaving them 20 points behind Rangers with only 18 left to play for. 

Liverpool were among the clubs to offer their congratulations to Rangers as the final whistle in Dundee sealed the end of their long climb back to the top. 

Former Rangers player and manager Graeme Souness said in the Sky Sports studio: ‘I’m delighted for Steven Gerrard and all his team. It’s been a long time coming.

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Celtic have had a period of domination that has been, let’s say, uncomfortable for us Rangers supporters. They totally deserve it, they have been fantastic all season and I just wish I was in Glasgow right now.

‘There is part of me that wishes Celtic had won today so Rangers had to go to Parkhead and winning it there which would have compounded Celtic’s problems but I’ll take it.

‘They have never had turmoil in their history like they’ve had in the last 10 years after being thrown out the league – unfairly in my opinion – and all the anti-rangers brigade that came out the woodwork up there.

‘When you’re in the third tier and you’ve got 50,000 people turning up to your stadium, that’s a proper support. So I’m absolutely delighted, there will be some parties going on right now.

‘He has worked away quietly, this is his third year. Nothing was going to happen overnight simply because of where Rangers were. It was a slow burn but he’s got them back and now they are reaping the rewards of all the hard work they have put in.’  

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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