Bendel Insurance's remarkable 52-game unbeaten streak at home in the Nigeria Premier Football League came 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 loss to Heartland in September 2007, making it the longest active home run in the competition.
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Niger Tornadoes secured their second away victory of the season in Benin against Bendel Insurance, delivering a stunning performance in the first half.
The Ikon Allah Boys began their onslaught when Chidiebere Ernest latched onto a rebound after a brilliant 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.
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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 supplied Akintunde Azeez with a clever pass from a tight angle, allowing Azeez to smash home and double the visitors' lead just before halftime.
Moments later, 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.
The win marked Coach Majin Mohammed's second victory on the road as an interim Technical Adviser, propelling Tornadoes to 12th on the log.
They will now face 19th place Gombe United in a matchday 29 NPFL encounter slated for Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna, as the Ikon Allah Boys look to consolidate on their back-to-back wins.
In addition to the impressive team performance, Ikechukwu Nwani's intimidating presence in front of opposing defenders was notable. He won key duels in his last game and made runs into the area, creating space for teammates such as in-form Clinton Jeptha and Ikenna Offor.
Speaking of Offor, his attacking prowess has been evident with goals in back-to-back games, complementing Jeptha's instrumental contributions, which include five goal involvements in his last three games.
While Niger Tornadoes have recorded four wins out of their last five NPFL matches - WWLWW - Gombe United failed to win any of their last five games (DDDLL).
In previous meetings, Niger Tornadoes have won seven times in their past 14 encounters with Gombe United, while the Savannah Scorpions won six, with a single draw recorded. The last time they visited the Ahmadu Bello Stadium Kaduna was during the 2021/2022 season, and Tornadoes emerged victorious with a lone goal.
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