Kwara United manager, Samson Unuanel has said the pre-season friendly against NPL rivals, Enugu Rangers is not a do-or-die encounter.

Both sides are using the encounter billed for the Kwara State Stadium on Sunday as build-up tie for the commencement of the 2012/2013 NPL season on February 16.

Unuanel said he is using the top flight friendly to assess the level of preparedness of his wards for the new season.

"The friendly is part of the preparatory programmes I lined up for the team ahead of the start of the new league season on February 16.

"We've been playing several friendlies with positive results but now that the league commencement date is getting closer we have to up the quality of friendlies we engage in and that informed the choice of Enugu Rangers.

"I want to expose the players to a grade-A friendly and see how much they have been able to assimilate all what we've been battling to instil in them.

"So the tie is a normal friendly game, no strings attached not a do-or-die thing. It's clearly a test match for my players," said the former Ocean Boys' coach to supersport.com.

Supersport.com gathered that the top flight game against the Coal City side will herald other pre-season friendlies to properly put the Afonja Warriors in good shape for the 2013 Nigeria Premier League season.

Kwara United will resume second and final phase of their closed door camping next week in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State where they are expected to intensify training as well as engage in more friendly games.