Leon Balogun and Hamza Igamane react as Clinton Nsiala finally in from the dark at Rangers
Clinton Nsiala banked his first minutes of the 2025-26 season from the bench against Hibernian.
Rangers grabbed their seventh win of the season with a 1-0 victory over Hibs at Ibrox on Monday.
An Emmanuel Fernandez header in the 35th minute would be all Rangers required to seal the three points, easing Danny Rohl’s temper after he revealed his frustrations after losing to Ferencvaros.
Mikey Moore was superb in the win over Hibs, but it was also an evening that signalled the return to the fold for Nsiala.
Leon Balogun and Hamza Igamane react to Nsiala message
Rangers’ win versus Hibernian saw Nsiala bank his first 30 minutes this season, with the French defender having previously been frozen out by Russell Martin.
The 21-year-old central defender replaced Max Aarons to see out the win, and enjoyed a good performance when it was needed most.
Taking to his Instagram after the game, Nsiala said: “I praise my Lord and Saviour Jesus for everything he has done in my life so far because he did, he does, and he will do it again. I’m still here, and my story continues to be written, more motivated than ever.”
In response to that, former Rangers pair Leon Balogun and Hamza Igamane shared his celebration.
Balogun, now of the Cypriot side Aris Limassol, replied with prayer and clapping emojis, with Igamane simply liking the message in support of his old teammate.
Nsiala looks set for important Rangers role in coming weeks
Had things gone differently in the summer, Nsiala wouldn’t still be in a Rangers shirt.
Nsiala was set to sign for Ukrainian giants Dynamo Kyiv on loan in the transfer window, but the move broke down at the final moment.
Rangers will now be glad it did, as a combination of injury issues and AFCON commitments continues to deplete Rohl’s centre-back options.
- Clinton Nsiala took to Instagram to mark his return to the Rangers side vs Hibernian
- John Souttar and Derek Cornelius remain injured
- Nasser Djiga is now away for AFCON
John Souttar and Derek Cornelius remain sidelined through injury, whilst Nasser Djiga is heading to AFCON with Burkina Faso.
That’s three important central defenders unavailable for several weeks, and so a return to form and action for Nsiala couldn’t have come at a better time for both himself and the Govan club.
Enjoyed this article? Stay connected with all the latest news, updates, and behind-the-scenes content by following us on our new Instagram account – @ibroxnews247