Bendel Insurance kicked off the 2022-23 Nigeria Professional Football League season with a 2-0 victory over Akwa United at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium on Sunday.
First-half goals from Imade Osehenkhoe and Ismael Sarki helped the newly-promoted team secure all three points.
Although Akwa United started the game brightly, securing possession early on and mounting pressure on the Bendel Insurance backline, they were unable to break the deadlock.
However, it was the away team that drew first blood in the highly contested game. Towering center forward Imade Osehenkhoe scored the first goal of the new NPFL season.
Osehenkhoe tucked the ball into an empty net after some fine work down the right by Divine Nwachukwu on the 37th minute mark to give his side the lead.
Four minutes later, his strike partner Ismael Sarki got the all important second goal from a corner kick, after some poor goalkeeping from Akwa United’s shotstopper Godgift Elkanah.
Winger Ubong Friday came closest to opening the home team’s goal account for the season after he was fouled by Vincent Augustus in the second half, but his resulting free kick was saved brilliantly by Amas Obasogie in goal for the Benin Arsenals.
The win was the first time Bendel Insurance has scored two or more away goals in the league since they lost 3-2 to Zamfara United in October 2007. It also continued the record of at least one away win in the opening week of the NPFL since 2015 season.
With week 2 and 3 matches postponed, Bendel Insurance will face Remo Stars at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin, while Akwa United will battle last season’s runners-up Plateau United, at home in Uyo.
