Bendel Insurance FC of Benin on Saturday defeated the El-Kanemi Warriors of Maiduguri 2-1 to extend their unbeaten run in the 2022/2023 season of the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL).
Insurance hosted the Match 15 day encounter which was decided at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin under intermittent heavy downpour.
The first half of the match ended in a stalemate, but the host found their feet in the early part of the second half, scoring two goals within a space of five minutes.
It was Ismael Sarki that broke the deadlock in the 55th minute of the game when he nodded into the El-Kanemi’s net a cross from Enabulele Efe.
Just four minutes after, Austin Ogunye extended the lead that earned the Benin side double victories over the Maiduguri warriors that lost 0-1 at home to Insurance early in the league.
Ugochukwu Ujah, however, found a consolation goal for the visitors after 68 minutes, a goal he converted from the spot.
With the victory, Insurance maintain their lead on the Group A table of the abridged league with 31 points from 15 matches, and compounded the woes of relegation-bound away team with nine points from the same number of matches.
Reacting to the defeat, Coach Muniru AbdulAziz of El-Kanemi FC regretted that the game did not go as he planned.
He noted that the host approached the match with a mind of seeking a revenge, but the warriors were only just unlucky considering their qualities in the match.
