Bendel Insurance Football Club of Benin on Sunday evening defeated visiting Enyimba International Football Club of Aba 1-0 in the week 9 fixture of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) played at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City.

The only goal of the tension-soaked contest was scored by top striker Imade Osarenkhoe in the 23rd minute of play and eventually sealed the victory for the high-flying Bendel Insurance FC.

Imade Osarenkhoe, Sarki Ismael, and Vincent Augustus came close to increasing the goal tally for the host but their efforts went inches away from the post on different occasions as Insurance came all out against the People’s Elephants.

Enyimba on the other hand showed why they are the most respected club in the country as they gave a good account of themselves. All their attempts for possible equalizer met the brick walls posed by the Insurance defense led by Sunday Anyawu and Benjamin Tanimu.

On resumption of hostility in the second half, Bendel Insurance continued as they piled up more pressure on the visitors in search of more goals but it ended 1-0.

With the victory over the two times CAF Champions League Winners, the Benin Arsenals ended the first round of the 2023 NPFL Group A with 23 points, seven points clear of the second-placed Enyimba.

In a post-match interview, the Chief Coach of Enyimba, Finidi George, commended his boys for playing to instructions, and blamed their defeat on hard luck.

The former Ajax FC of Holland and Super Eagles mercurial winger, said his boys will be going back to the drawing board in preparations for the second round of the league.

On his part, Coach Monday Odigie of Insurance expressed delight at the victory over the hard-fighting Enyimba boys, just as he promised to correct some mistakes noticed in his team before the resumption of the second round.

On the chances of Bendel Insurance winning the league, coach Odigie said his boys will be taking each game at a time.

Insurance FC has been in spectacular form since the return to the Premier League and will be proceeding on a three-week midseason break satisfied.