2023/2024 NPFL Match Day 36: Bendel Insurance drains Rivers United in Benin

Posted : 13 June 2024

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Bendel Insurance Football Club of Benin, on Wednesday, June 12, defeated Rivers United of Port Harcourt 2-1 in the Match Day 36 game of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) to climb up the ladder.

Chisom Okereke and Divine Nwachukwu scored in the 25th and 55th minutes of the star match respectively to drain the Pride of the Rivers at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium.

The energetic striker Chisom struck from the edge of the box in the 25th minute of play to put the ball past goalkeeper Akande and send the anxious home fans into jubilation.

The duo had missed two scoring chances earlier after well-worked incursions in the tenth and fifteenth minutes of play.

The first half of the match was, however, disrupted by heavy rain which forced the match officials to put the game on hold in the 30th minute of play as the volume of water became too heavy for the flow of the game.

The game resumed after about 20 minutes of the forced break and went on smoothly to the end of the half with the Benin Arsenals going into the dressing room with a one-goal lead.

On resumption for the second half of the match, Insurance, not satisfied with the 1-0 lead, stepped up their game with Divine Nwachukwu, Chisom Okereke, Evans Ogbonda, and Meyinwa Oritseweyinmi connecting well in pushing Insurance's attack impressively to make things difficult for the visitors.

The understanding between the pairs and the spirited efforts of the entire team paid off in the 55th minute of the game when Meyiwa's fine free kick from 20 yards was a swift pass to Divine Nwachukwu, who sublimely buried the ball into the left corner of the net to increase the lead for the Benin Arsenals.

Chisom Okereke was also a thorn in the flesh of Rivers Utd in the first-round meeting on match day 16, which ended in a 1-1 draw in Port Harcourt, as he found the back of the net of Rivers Utd in the 21st minute of play to open his goal account for Insurance FC since joining the Benin Arsenals on loan from Enyimba FC this season.

He replicated the same feat again on match day 36 in Benin to win the Nigeria Breweries-sponsored Man of the Match award.

The visitors, however, showed resilience and determination till the end of the game as Asiegbu Shedrack was lucky to pull one goal back in the 92nd minute to reduce the deficit for Rivers Utd, ending match day 36 with a 2-1 victory for the Benin Arsenals.

Bendel Insurance FC, who have now climbed some steps up to 7th on the table with 53 points, will be on the road to Enugu on Sunday, June 16, to face title hopefuls Rangers International at the Cathedral.

That fixture is Bendel Insurance's last away game of the season.

2023/2024 NPFL Match Day 36: Bendel Insurance drains Rivers United in Benin

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