Bendel Insurance FC of Benin are set for another thrilling continental showdown as they advance in the CAF Confederation Cup with a first-leg clash against Renaissance Sportive de Berkane (RSB) of Morocco in the Second Qualifying Round of the competition.
The Edo State-based team will host the 2021/2022 CAF Confederation Cup winners for a place in the group stage on Saturday, September 16, 2023, at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City, the Edo State capital.
The Benin Arsenals who are Nigeria’s Federation Cup holders secured their spot in the Second Round of the CAF Confederation Cup after a remarkable first and second-leg performance against ASO Chlef of Algeria, who are the 2022/23 Algerian Cup winners.
The team, which has remained unbeaten this season, has continued to enjoy support and motivation from the state government which has rejuvenated the indomitable spirit for which the Benin Arsenals have always been known.
The Edo State Government under the leadership of Governor Godwin Obaseki has made huge investments in developing and sustaining the football club in particular and the sports sector in general, with investments that have revitalised sporting activities and elevated the state-owned club from erstwhile relegation into the lofty heights of visibility, which the team now enjoys across the nation and the African continent.
Speaking ahead of the September 16 encounter, the Chief Press Secretary to the Edo State Governor, Andrew Okungbowa, said the state is ready to receive the visitors, expressing confidence that the home team will come out victorious after 90 minutes.
“All is set as our darling team, Bendel Insurance FC, hosts Renaissance Sportive de Berkane (RSB) of Morocco in the first leg of the 2nd Qualifying Round of the CAF Confederation Cup,” Okungbowa said.
“The Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, with its state-of-the-art facilities and impeccable pitch conditions, has been meticulously prepared for this great encounter, and our football-loving fans and supporters are ready and eager, as always, to fill the 12,000 capacity stadium with their cheers and support for the players, creating an electrifying atmosphere that will certainly inspire the home team to victory,” he said.
Okungbowa said it would be another carnival-like and festival Saturday in Benin as Governor Obaseki had given a matching order to mobilise Edo people, just as was done in the first leg last month, to cheer Insurance to victory.
“We have already set machinery in place to mobilise our people and to ensure that the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium is full to capacity on match game with fans and supporters from across the state as we are going to provide free transportation from 12 different locations in the city to take people to the stadium and return them after the game,” he said.
