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Greg Ikhenoba blames loss of concentration for Bendel Insurance’s defeat to Nasarawa United
By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde
Bendel Insurance head coach, Greg Ikhenoba, has attributed his side’s 1-0 home defeat to Nasarawa United in their Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) Matchday 7 fixture at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City, to a lapse in concentration.
A stoppage-time strike from Garba Mohammed handed the visitors all three points and heaped more pressure on Ikhenoba, who is reportedly working under an ultimatum from the club’s management.
“We lost the match due to lack of concentration, and there is nothing we can do now to change the result,” Ikhenoba said. “Congratulations to the winning team.
“Nobody in this kind of situation will be happy. This is not the result I expected. I keep telling the boys to stay focused until the end — otherwise, you get punished for your mistakes.”
The Benin Arsenals dominated much of the first half but failed to convert their chances, something Ikhenoba said proved costly.
“We made a lot of mistakes and couldn’t take our chances, especially in the first half, and we paid dearly for it in the end. I hope we learn from this,” he added.
Looking ahead, the Insurance boss remains optimistic that his side can bounce back when they travel to Lagos to face Ikorodu City FC next week.
“We just need to stay focused and work harder. Who knows? It is possible for us to make up for this home loss in Lagos. Anything can happen in football,” Ikhenoba said.
He also used the opportunity to call for patience and continued support from the club’s fans and stakeholders.
“Let me use this opportunity to appeal to our fans and stakeholders to still keep faith with us. They should exercise patience — we will make them happy.
“We are all in it together, but I believe we will get back on our feet again.”
