… as Ine Stars battle Delight FC
Bendel Insurance Football Club of Benin will host amateur side Metrice Football Club of Ekpoma in the 2024 Edo Football Association (FA) Cup semifinals clash on Thursday, March 28.
Kick-off time is 4 PM
All eyes will be on the defending champions Bendel Insurance as they are favourites in the challenge for crossing the last hurdle to clinching one of the two tickets for Nigeria’s Federation Cup.
The crucial match, scheduled to hold at the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium is the second semifinal match of the day. Ine Stars FC and Delight FC are paired against each other in the first semifinal match scheduled to kick off at 2 PM at the same venue.
The Benin Arsenals, the reigning champions at the state and national levels defeated their Feeders team who were runners-up in the 2023 edition by a lone goal in the quarter-finals last week at the Western Boys High School field.
Metrice FC on the other hand defeated BJ Foundation 5-4 in a shootout after a 2-2 draw at full-time, at the Western Boys High School.
Bendel Insurance FC and Metrice FC have never met in any football engagement which makes Thursday’s game a battle between the regular faces and newcomers at this state in the Edo FA Cup.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) management body has accorded the 2024 FA Cup the preferences it deserves as it deliberately did not schedule any League matches for this weekend to enable all the states of the federation to conclude the oldest and biggest football fiesta in their respective domains by the Nigeria Football Federation’s schedules.
Bendel Insurance FC will therefore be hosting Niger Tornadoes in the Matchday 28 of the Nigeria Premier Football League on Wednesday, April 3, at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium. Kick-off time is 5:30 PM
The NPFL match was earlier scheduled for Tuesday, April 2 following the release on Wednesday by the NPFL Chief Operating Officer, Davidson Owumi
