NAN
Bendel Insurance Football Club of Benin on Monday brightened their chances of returning to the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) after 11 years of languishing in the lower league.
The Insurers came from behind to defeat visiting 3SC of Ibadan 2-1 in a replayed 2017/2018 Nigeria National League (NNL) match in Benin.
The replay match was abandoned on Sunday due to poor visibility caused by rainfall.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 3SC had taken the lead in the third minute of the game through Isiaka Mutiu on Sunday, before the rains stopped play.
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Insurance FC, however, got the equaliser in the 56th minute of the game through Kabiru Abdulahi, when both sides returned to the match on Monday.
Charles Omokaro then converted a penalty kick for Insurance FC in added time, after a 3SC player was adjudged to have handled the ball in the penalty area.
With the result, Insurance FC now head Group B1 of the NNL with 29 points with one game in hand, against Spartans FC of Agege.
3SC, their nearest challengers, are with 28 points and have played their last group match which was against Insurance FC.
Speaking afterwards, Bauldwin Bazuaye, Bendel Insurance FC’s head coach, commended his players for beating 3SC.
Bazuaye said he was happy that his players played to instructions and deserved to win.
Speaking also after the match, the Deputy Governor of Edo, Philip Shaibu, said the team did a great job by coming from behind to win the game.
“The win was a well-deserved one, because Insurance FC have been out of the professional league for the past 11 years now and I believe this win will take us to the top of our group,” he said.