2023/2014 NPFL Match Day 20: Sporting Lagos FC triumph over Bendel Insurance FC a clear motivation says Alukwu

Posted : 19 February 2024

Jonathan Alukwu of Sporting Lagos FC believes the 2023/2024 Nigeria Premier Football League Match Day 20 win will motivate the club for more wins. Head Coach and Technical Director of Bendel Insurance Football Club of Benin, Monday Odigie, expressed confidence in the team's performance.

Also, the Head Coach and Technical Director of Bendel Insurance Football Club of Benin, Monday Odigie, expressed confidence that his team would return to winning ways and get better as the second round of the 2023–24 Nigeria Premier Football League progresses.

Coach Odigie, in a post-match interview after his team, Bendel Insurance FC, lost 1-0 to Sporting Lagos in the Nigerian Premier Football League Match Day 20 game at the Mobolaji Johnson Stadium, said Onikan Lagos deserved better.

Insurance defeated Sporting Lagos 3-1 in the matchday 19 fixture in Benin to end the first round of the league on high, but the Lagosians responded positively in the revised fixture as the second round kicked off.

''The game has come and gone; we will continue to work on our mistakes, continue to correct them, and get better. ''Sometimes you are well prepared, but some mistakes can cost you the game,'' Odigie said.

Coach Odigie, however, expressed optimism that his team will regain its footing as the season progresses.

The noisy Lagosians started the game purposefully, attacking from the right flank with Goalkeeper Amas Obasogie and Sunday Anyanwu curtailing the offensives of the invaders to a goalless first half.

The hungry Sporting Lagos got the breakthrough in the 56th minute with Tochukwu Michael's well-taken freekick from the edge of the box that breezed through beyond the reach of Amas Obasogie's gloves. The insurance goalkeeper and some of his defenders had appealed to the referee for a handball against Sporting in the build-up to the goal, but the centre referee ignored their appeals.

In his search for equalizer, coach Odigie introduced Chukwudi Meze, Austin Ogunye, Maurice Prince and Ikhenoba Raymond in the places of Stephen Sodje, Paul Obata, Chisom Okereke and Divine Nwachukwu in the 68th minute and 72 minutes which improved their game but could not change the result as the home team hung on to the one goal lead to the end.

Bendel Insurance, with the loss in Lagos, is pushed a step downward to the 8th position on 30 points on the log and will be going back to Benin to prepare for another big encounter. They are up against former CAF champions and league-defending champions Enyimba FC in the matchday 21 game in Benin next weekend.

2023/2014 NPFL Match Day 20: Sporting Lagos FC triumph over Bendel Insurance FC a clear motivation says Alukwu

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