By Dayo Awoniyi
Bendel Insurance Football Club extended their impressive run in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) with a hard-fought goalless draw against Kano Pillars on Wednesday.
The Benin-based side traveled to the Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano buoyed by their 1-0 victory over Sunshine Stars last weekend. Despite their best efforts, Bendel Insurance were unable to breach the Pillars’ defense, settling for a valuable away point.
The draw was a significant improvement for Bendel Insurance, who had lost 1-0 to Kano Pillars in the first round of the season in Benin.
Captain Meyiwa Oritseweyinmi had previously declared “payback time” ahead of the match, but while the team did not secure the victory they sought, the point remains a positive outcome.
With 45 points from 31 matches, Bendel Insurance now sits in 7th place on the NPFL table.
The Benin-City based team will now shift focus to their next match, a highly anticipated clash with defending champions Rangers International of Enugu in Matchday 32. Prior to that, they will face Adamawa United in the Federation Cup round of 32 on April 2, 2025, in Lafia, Nasarawa State.
The valuable point in Kano keeps Bendel Insurance in the hunt for a strong finish to the season.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
