NPFL: Sarki, Ogunye score El-Kanemi as Bendel Insurance end 5-game winless streak
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Bendel Insurance

NPFL: Sarki, Ogunye score El-Kanemi as Bendel Insurance end 5-game winless streak

Jidechi Chidiezie 18:33 - 22.04.2023

The Benin Arsenals have now extended their lead at the top of the Group A table by 7 points.

Bendel Insurance on Saturday, returned to winning ways in the 2023 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), defeating El Kanemi Warriors 2-1 to end their winless run.

The Benin club had since the start of the second half of the NPFL regular season, been on a winless run of five matches, including score draws at home with Kwara United and Akwa United.

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Bendel Insurance 2-1 El Kameni: As it happened

The fixture at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin had pitted the top team in Group A against the bottom team in the group.

The first half of the encounter saw the visitors - who have conceded at least a goal in 9 of their last 10 matches, put in a great shift, keeping Bendel Insurance at bay until the half-hour mark.

But it all came falling apart in the second half, as quickfire goals in the space of four minutes separated both sides.

First, Insurance gained the lead in the 54th minute thanks to an Ismael Sarki header and then doubled it as Austine Ogunye put his name on the scoresheet in the 58th minute.

With barely 20 minutes to go, the visitors succeeded in pulling one back through a Muhammed Hussaini penalty, but that was all it was to be, 2-1, at full-time.

Bendel Insurance point gap in Group A

The result now means that Bendel Insurance maintains its place at the top of Group A but with an increased seven-point margin.

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El Kanemi on the other hand remains rooted at the base of Group A, edging further to relegation with three games to go.

The rest of the week 15 matches will take place on Sunday, and Monday as teams continue to look forward to qualifying for the Super 6 playoff.