MC Alger players have reportedly held a crisis meeting as the Algerian club intensifies preparations for their CAF Champions League second preliminary-round return leg against Nigeria’s Rangers International.

The meeting comes after MC Alger suffered a 2-0 defeat to Rangers in the first leg at the Moshood Abiola Sports Arena in Abeokuta on Saturday, leaving the Algerian side with a significant deficit to overcome in the return fixture.

The decisive encounter is scheduled to take place in Algiers on Friday, October 23, with MC Alger determined to produce a strong performance in front of their home supporters and keep their hopes of reaching the group stage alive.

According to reports, the meeting was convened at the invitation of club captain Ayoub Abdelouali and head coach Ben Yahia. The players reportedly agreed to approach the return leg with renewed determination, targeting what they described as a historic performance against the Nigerian representatives.

MC Alger are aiming to secure a victory by at least three goals to overturn the two-goal deficit and progress to the group stage of Africa’s premier club competition.

The players’ meeting followed a separate session with the club’s management, which was focused on motivating the squad ahead of the crucial fixture.

During that session, the management reportedly urged the players to give everything on the pitch and make amends for the defeat suffered in Abeokuta. The message was clear: MC Alger must respond strongly in the return leg if they are to avoid elimination at this stage of the competition.

The Algerian side now face a demanding task, as Rangers travel with a two-goal advantage from the first encounter. The Nigerian club will be seeking to protect that lead and secure qualification for the group stage.

For MC Alger, the return fixture represents an opportunity to respond to the setback in Nigeria and turn the tie around on home soil. However, they will need a substantially improved performance to achieve the required result against a Rangers side that established a commanding position in the first leg.

Rangers, meanwhile, will be aware that the tie remains unfinished despite their advantage. A disciplined performance in Algiers will be essential as the Enugu-based club seeks to complete the job and advance to the next phase.

The aggregate winner of the two-legged encounter will book a place in the CAF Champions League group stage, making Friday’s clash a decisive test for both teams.

With MC Alger publicly targeting a comeback and Rangers looking to preserve their advantage, attention will now turn to the return leg in Algiers, where the outcome will determine which club continues its continental campaign.