'Breath of fresh air': Rangers ace labelled 'nothing short of brilliant' after Ross County win
12/08/2024 12:00 PM
Many footballers can only dream of scoring three goals as good as this – another wondergoal from Rangers’ rising star in the 3-0 win over Ross County – across their entire careers.
Rangers’ £1.7 million summer signing, in contrast, put forward a trio of bonafide Goal of the Season contenders in the space of just over two weeks.
And perhaps the most remarkable thing about Hamza Igamane’s growing collection of wonderstrikes is that the finishes he produced against Nice, against Kilmarnock and against Ross County were all completely different; both in their style and their execution.
As Rangers destroyed Nice 4-1 in the Europa League away from home, Igamane nutmegged Pablo Rosario before slotting into the far corner. A flick and finish somewhat reminiscent, albeit not quite as spectacular, of Luis Suarez’s famous effort against David Luiz and Paris Saint-Germain.
Igamane had already been denied a sumptuous backheel finish as Rangers obliterated Kilmarnock 6-0, meanwhile, before he opted for the blunt object approach. The Moroccan shifted the ball onto his right foot and blasted into the bottom corner.
His fifth goal in just four Rangers appearances on Sunday lunchtime at Dingwall, meanwhile, swerved and dipped so viciously that those in the commentary box assumed it must have taken a deflection.
How could it not have, given the way the ball flew into the air, span away towards the top corner and crept just underneath the bar? The replays showed, however, that this was all Igamane’s own work.
And he’s making quite the habit of this. If that solo effort in Nice was Suarez-esque, then there was a hint of Papiss Cisse about his Ross County rocket.
Hamza Igamane labelled ‘brilliant’ as he fires Rangers past Ross County
“Igamane is a real breath of fresh air, the young man,” former Rangers midfielder Derek Ferguson tells BBC Sport, blown away by Igamane’s swaggering self-confidence and fierce shooting ability.
“The manager [Philippe Clement] said he was trying to get him up to speed but, in the last few games, he has been nothing short of brilliant.
“He is off the cuff and he had three or four nutmegs this afternoon. And [he] took his goal brilliantly.”
Ferguson cannot help but be reminded of his one-time Ibrox team-mate Ted McMinn when watching Igamane in full flow.
“I don’t know if you remember Ted McMinn,” Ferguson adds. “But Igamane’s got that unpredictability.”
Danilo doubled Rangers’ lead in far easier circumstances before half-time. As goalkeeper Jack Hamilton dawdled on the ball inside his own box, the Brazilian robbed him before tapping in from a tight angle.
Rangers now have the luxury of being able to call upon three fully-fit and in-form centre-forwards. Cyriel Dessers, just about the first name on the team sheet not so long ago, has not started any of the last three Scottish Premiership games now.
Yet, in what was a testament to the strength and the desire of Rangers’ frontline, Dessers still managed a brace off the bench against Kilmarnock.
Philippe Clement pleased by Rangers control in Dingwall win
Clement, meanwhile, was just pleased to exercise the ghosts of April. A stunning 3-2 defeat at Ross County in the spring cost Rangers a shot at the league title, after all.
“[Dingwall] is a hard place to win, but to win in that way is even better,” Clement told the media at full-time, James Tavernier putting the icing on the cake with a pretty special finish of his own.
“I’m very pleased about our domination, how we controlled the game, how we kept our organisation and concentration. We want this variation [in our play]. We want this movement, people free in spaces. Everyone is starting to recognise what we do when. You get more fluidity. It’s work. It’s hard work.
“[This form] gives confidence, but I know we’re not there yet.”
