Niger Tornadoes fell 1–0 to Bendel Insurance in dramatic fashion on Match Day 4 of the 2025/2026 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, with a stoppage-time strike by substitute, Emmanuel Israel, sealing their second defeat of the campaign, platinumnewsng.com is reporting
Head coach Mohammed Majin, at the post match presser, praised his players’ effort despite the disappointment, noting that football often delivers harsh lessons.
“I want to appreciate the players’ effort, they did their best, but at the end of the day, they succumbed. That’s football for you. You win some, you lose some, and until the final whistle, it’s not over. In all, we stuck to our game plan, and we appreciate everything.”
The coach stressed that his side always approaches games with the intent to win, dismissing suggestions of time-wasting from his players.
“As far as we are concerned, we don’t go to any match with the mindset of a draw, we go for outright winning, and whichever we get, we take it in good faith. You can’t term players’ pain time-wasting; you are not in the field to know what they are going through,” he explained.
Reflecting on the late concession, Majin admitted his team may have lost concentration.
“It’s not over until it’s over, maybe that’s what the players thought—that we had finished the game and the referee had not blown the whistle—and that’s how we conceded that dying goal. That’s unfortunate, but we are taking it in good faith and we will go home to pick up our three points which is very crucial for us,” he added.
Despite the defeat, Tornadoes remain 6th on the NPFL log with six points, pending results from other centres on Sunday, September 14.
They will next host Ikorodu City on September 21, as they aim to bounce back with a crucial home win.