Bendel Insurance’s 1-0 win against 2023 Algerian League Cup winner, ASO Chlef in the first preliminary round of the CAF confederations cup on Saturday at the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium was met with mixed reactions from the football scene.
While some fans of Bendel Insurance believe the result was a very positive one and also think their team will go to Algeria next weekend and get the job done by avoiding a defeat, others hold the view that the win was slim and that Aso Chlef has what it takes to upturn the result and progress to the next round.
The Executive Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki who was Live at the stadium to cheer the state team to victory, expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance and the result, also believing that the team has got the right leadership from the coaching crew and the right mentality to make it through to the next round.
In a post-match interview with journalists, the governor said, “I feel very elated, we have a very good team, as you saw today, the team is very youthful, very strong and very imaginative. I’m quite pleased and thrilled with their performance this evening.”
He also went on to comment on the poor weather condition yesterday and how that affected the pitch and the general performance of the Benin Arsenals.
He expressed his confidence that Bendel Insurance will see through the encounter and advance to the second round. He said, “I believe after studying our opponents very closely and carefully this evening and with the kind of imaginative coach we have, we are going to make sure we put all the plans in place to come home with the victory.”
The governor was very happy with the massive turnout of fans and supporters for the fixture, stating that the success of Bendel Insurance has enjoyed all this while is one of the achievements of his administration. According to the Governor, “We are happy that we can almost fill the stadium without paying anyone. On their own, they came out to support their club. I feel pleased and I cannot say thank you enough to the good people of Edo State.