FASHION SAKALA admits Rangers will face Hibernian with revenge on their minds as they bid to make amends for their Hampden horror show on Wednesday night.

The champions saw their Premier Sports Cup hopes ended earlier this month as they crashed to a 3-1 defeat at Hampden and suffered another early exit from a domestic competition.

Boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst watched the action from the stands as his side produced a lamentable performance the day before he officially took office at Ibrox.

And Sakala knows Rangers now have a point to prove as they face familiar foes and aim to keep their Premiership title defence on track this week.

“Exactly," Sakala said when asked if the trip to Easter Road was a chance to make up for the defeat at Hampden. "In games like this, it’s all about revenge.

"What they did to us last week was very bad and we have to react.

“This is the time for us to react. It’s a very important game.

"The league table is very tight and we have to keep picking up points, winning. We are very confident and excited for the game on Wednesday."

Sakala came off the bench during the closing stages of the semi-final defeat and was unable to help Rangers salvage their cup dreams.

But he played a key role on Sunday as he netted the third and final goal in the victory over Livingston that gave Van Bronckhorst a win on his Premiership debut.

The forward has five goals to his credit this term and is confident he can continue to improve and impress at Ibrox.

Sakala said: “I always have plans and objectives for myself, what I can add to the team. This is something I always plan before the season starts.

“What I’ve done so far looks good but I’m still hungry for more. I’m still confident that I need to give more to the club, I need to give more to the squad.

“I’m always preparing for that and I hope things can continue going like this.

"I’m always looking forward for God to keep on answering my prayers. It’s always nice when I add something to the team.

"Everything is still the same [under Van Bronckhorst]. You know, he is a different coach and every coach has got different styles of training.

"But it’s not a big change. Everything is going almost the same and I haven’t seen a big change for now."

Sakala has become a firm favourite with supporters in recent weeks as he has risen to prominence following his summer switch from Oostende.

The 24-year-old met Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema during his trip to Glasgow for the COP26 climate conference.

And he admits he is loving life at Ibrox as fans serenade him to the tune of Shakira's 'Waka Waka' this term.

Sakala said: “It’s a very big motivation to see how fans react when I’m going to get on the pitch.

"I really appreciate the support I’m getting from the fans.

“I really appreciate the song they made for me. It’s a very beautiful song, a very nice one.

"It can’t get off my mind, I always sing it when I’m alone!

"Zambia don’t have a lot of players playing in Europe, so the difference is there. I always feel good when I go to play for my national team, I always feel comfortable to play with them.

“I feel what we are doing in Europe will help a lot of Zambian players to come to Europe.

“But when you talk about Rangers, it’s a different level because you have high levels of players in almost each and every position. So it’s totally different.

“Signing for Rangers has had a very big impact on my career. I can tell there is a very big difference the way I was in Belgium or my previous clubs, the way people react and the way they respect me.

"It’s brought a big difference to my career, my life and my family."