BY EDWARD OSEGHE
Bendel Insurance Football Club finally secured their first victory of the 2025/26 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season after edging Niger Tornadoes 1-0 in a tense encounter at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City, on Saturday.
The decisive moment came deep into stoppage time when substitute Emmanuel Israel rose highest to nod home from one of Henry Oyian’s trademark long throws, sparking wild celebrations among the home fans.
The Benin Arsenals had been desperate for maximum points after three winless outings and were visibly relieved to break the deadlock in the third minute of added time. Both sides had battled with high intensity throughout the game, with Tornadoes doing everything possible to blunt Insurance’s attack before Israel’s late intervention sealed the contest.
Insurance had opened their campaign with a 2-0 defeat to El-Kanemi Warriors in Maiduguri on August 24, before recording back-to-back 1-1 draws against Shooting Stars at home and Barau FC away in Kano.
Next, they face a daunting trip to Aba where they will take on Enyimba International on Sunday.
After the match, Insurance head coach Greg Ikhenoba hailed his side’s determination.
“We knew Tornadoes would be tough to break down, but the boys stayed focused and followed my instructions. Kudos to them—they fought a good fight,” Ikhenoba said.
He also acknowledged the support of the Edo State Government, the Edo Sports Commission Chairman, Hon. Amadin Desmond Enabulele, and the fans.
“This team is still a work in progress. As we continue to play together, the goals will start coming and everybody will be happy,” he added.
On the other hand, Tornadoes coach Mohammed Majin praised his players despite the late defeat but admitted that the loss of concentration cost them.
“I appreciate the players’ effort—they did their best, but in the end, they succumbed. That’s football. Until the final whistle, it is not over. Unfortunately, we lost focus in extra time and paid the price,” Majin said.
He dismissed claims of time-wasting tactics, insisting his players had legitimate injury concerns.
“We don’t set out to play for a draw—we always play for victory. You can’t call it time-wasting when a player is genuinely in pain. Only the players know what they are going through on the pitch,” Majin explained.
