Bendel Insurance saw their remarkable 52-game unbeaten streak at home in the Nigeria Premier Football League come to an end with a surprising 1-3 defeat to Niger Tornadoes at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium.
This loss marks the first time the Benin Arsenal have been defeated in a league match in thirteen years, since their 0-3 defeat to Heartland in September 2007, making it the longest active home run in the competition.
Follow NPFL TRANSFERMARKET FOR THE LATEST TRANSFER NEWS IN THE NPFL!
Niger Tornadoes secured their second away victory of the season in Benin against Bendel Insurance, delivering a stunning performance in the first half. The onslaught began when Chidiebere Ernest capitalized on a rebound after a superb cross into the area from Clinton Jephta, firing a low shot past Insurance goalkeeper Amas Obasogie to open the floodgates of goals in the 13th minute.
Clinton Jephta's pace and dribbling skills caused numerous problems for the hosts, with an attempt on goal thwarted by Obasogie in the 26th minute. Despite being awarded several free kicks, the hosts failed to capitalize as they piled on the pressure in search of an equalizer.
The second goal came from Clinton Jephta, who provided Akintunde Azeez with a clever pass from a tight angle, allowing Azeez to smash home and double the visitors' lead just before halftime. Shortly after, Clinton Jephta found the back of the net himself, courtesy of Akintunde Azeez, who capitalized on Adeyinka Najeem's brilliant throw-in, slotting home from close range to make it three before the break.
Tornadoes went into halftime with a commanding 0-3 lead. In the second half, the hosts pushed forward relentlessly, throwing everything into attack in search of an early goal, but Tornadoes' defense held firm, repelling all pressure. Insurance managed to pull one back in the 85th minute through Chukwudi Meze, but it proved to be too little, too late for a late comeback.
Midfielder Stephen Wisdom attributed the loss to an unlucky day but expressed confidence in the team's ability to bounce back, stating,
"I must tell you everyone was sad about the score, yes, because we lost not just a game but a league record as well, but that's football. Some mistakes cost us the game, but we are willing to correct it all against Kwara. We'd love to apologize to the fans and promise them a better showing."
Bendel Insurance will next face Kwara United in Ilorin at the Ilorin Township Stadium in matchweek 29 of the Nigerian Premier Football League.
2024 @OrangeFootballMagazine. All rights reserved. Permission to use this article as a quotation and point of reference is allowed subject to appropriate credit being given to the author Orange Football Magazine as the source.
.jpg)
0 Comments