Bendel Insurance’s struggles in the 2024/2025 NPFL campaign show no signs of abating, with their woes compounded by a 2-1 defeat to Nasarawa United in a Matchday 14 clash at Lafia City Stadium on Wednesday with the Coach, Greg Ikhenoba, expressing frustration over what he describes as unsporting behaviour by the home team’s ball boys, which he believes affected the flow of the game, Complesports.com reports
After a 1-1 stalemate in the first half, Nasarawa United reclaimed the lead through Adegote’s 51st-minute strike, holding on resolutely until the final whistle.
However, Ikhenoba criticised the home team’s ball boys for allegedly delaying play by failing to promptly return balls that went out of bounds. He called on league organisers to address the issue to maintain the professionalism of the competition.
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“I was surprised to see the home team’s ball boys keeping the balls away, forcing my players to fetch them themselves,” Ikhenoba said.
“This kind of behaviour is unhealthy for our football. We watch European games daily, and such antics don’t happen there. The league organisers need to curb this to improve the game’s integrity.”
When asked about the officiating, the soft-spoken gaffer commended the match officials but noted minor crowd disturbances, which he described as typical of home games.
“Officiating was good. I’m impressed, despite the little harassment from the crowd, which I think is normal for home teams,” he remarked.
The loss leaves Bendel Insurance rooted to the bottom of the NPFL table with just 12 points from 14 matches.
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Reflecting on the team’s current form, Ikhenoba admitted that the team must work harder to turn things around.
“There are always three possible outcomes in football: win, draw, or loss,” Ikhenoba said.
“Unfortunately, we lost this time. We didn’t come here to lose; we worked hard to get a result, but it didn’t happen. Now, we must go back and address our weaknesses to ensure we smile after our next game.”
Bendel Insurance will host Plateau United in their Match Day 15 fixture at Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City, on Sunday, December 1, 2024.
By Sab Osuji
