Insurance defeat El-Kanemi 2-1 in Benin

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.

Insurance hosted the Match 15-day encounter which was decided at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin under an 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 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 the 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 revenge, but the warriors were only just unlucky considering their qualities in the match.

NAN