Assistant coach Chukwuma Agbo has been placed in temporary charge of Enugu Rangers after the Nigerian league champions fired coach Imama Amapakabo following a 2-2 draw against Zesco United on Sunday.
Amapakabo, an under 17 World Cup winning goalkeeper with Nigeria in 1985, guided the club to their first league title in 32 years last season, but has found results hard to come by this term.
Rangers lie rooted to the bottom of the 20-team NPFL with just 3 wins from 14 games, and were eliminated from the CAF Champions League after squandering a 3-0 first leg advantage against Egypt's Zamalek to lose 3-4 on aggregate.
Those results prompted the club management to issue a three-match, 9-point ultimatum to the coach which was later rescinded.
On Sunday, the club again blew another healthy lead at home to Zambia's Zesco United, who came from 0-2 down to draw 2-2 and even came close to sneaking a late winner.
Imama was set upon by irate fans at the final whistle and Rangers spokesman Foster Chime said immediately after the game that the club had lost patience
"Rangers have told Imama to step aside because of our unimpressive results which reached its height with our 2-2 draw at home to Zesco United,'' Chime said.
"The management of the club had a crucial meeting after the game on Sunday and the decision was taken there.
"The Chief Coach Chukwuma Agbo will take charge of the team for now," Chime said.
Agbo, who was Amapakabo's assistant, also doubles as the assistant coach of the Beach Soccer national team and will prepare the team for the second leg of their CAF Confederations Cup playoff against Zesco on Sunday. They Flying Antelopes will need a win or score draw higher than 2-2 to progress.