By Oluwadamilola Olaleye
Newly appointed Technical Manager of Bendel Insurance FC, Kennedy Boboye, officially began his tenure on Wednesday, leading his first training session at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City before moving the team into a closed training camp.
Boboye, a two-time Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) title-winning coach with Plateau United and Akwa United, met with players and staff for the first time.
In his address, he urged the squad to prioritize the club’s objectives and the vision of the Edo State Government over individual ambitions.
“We must all be alive to our responsibilities and imbibe the culture of mutual respect to awaken team spirit and winning mentality,” Boboye told the team.
“I am engaged by the management of this great club to take the club out of the bad situation we find ourselves in. I can’t do it alone—I need the cooperation of everybody, coaches and staff alike, to succeed.”
Boboye emphasized discipline, unity, and hard work as the foundation for turning around the club’s recent form.
His first official assignment will be to lead the team in their upcoming NPFL Matchday 8 fixture against Rivers United, set to take place next week in Benin.
His appointment follows the suspension of former head coach Greg Ikhenoba, who was relieved of his duties after a string of poor results, including a 1–0 home loss to Nasarawa United on Matchday 7.
Boboye’s arrival is seen as a bold move by the club’s management to stabilize the team and steer them back to form as they continue their campaign in the top flight.
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.
