Kwara United suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat at home to the visiting Bendel Insurance of Benin in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) Matchday 33 encounter played on Sunday at the Rashidi Yekini Main Bowl of the George Inih Stadium.
The Harmony Boys, coming off a morale-boosting away point against Plateau United last weekend, failed to convert early chances in front of a lively home crowd. Their wastefulness was punished in the 33rd minute when Kayode Oke of Insurance nodded home from a well-delivered corner, beating goalkeeper Nurudeen Badmus to hand the visitors the lead.
In the second half, Kwara United showed greater urgency, with Philip Ozoh anchoring the midfield through timely tackles and precise distribution. The trio of Wasiu Alalade, Ismaila Gatta, and Mohamed Alao came close to leveling the scoreline, but Bendel Insurance goalkeeper stood tall, making several key saves to keep his team ahead.
After the match, Coach Tunde Sanni voiced his frustration over the missed opportunity to secure all three points at home.
“It’s painful to lose at home again. We’re experiencing hard luck lately, and it’s frustrating,” he said.
He noted the absence of key players Shola AbdulRaheem and Akanni Akeem affected the team’s rhythm, but he remains optimistic that their return will strengthen the squad going forward.
Despite the setback, Kwara United remain 11th on the NPFL table, and they now turn their focus to a busy schedule. They face Heartland FC next weekend in Owerri, but before that, they will battle Solution FC in the Round of 16 of the President Federation Cup on Wednesday at 10am at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City.
