Sports
Bank Renews Sponsorship Deal With Bendel Insurance
Sterling Bank Plc has renewed its kits sponsorship deal with Bendel Insurance FC of Benin for the new Nigeria Premier Football League season.
The kit sponsorship renewal was formalised at the 2022/23 jersey unveiling ceremony held recently at the Edo State Government House in Benin City, Edo State.
Tunde Adeola, Executive Director at Sterling Bank, made the pledge, stating, “Sterling is very grateful and honoured to be a part of the return to footballing glory of Bendel Insurance.
“We at Sterling will continue to support and sponsor Bendel Insurance because we did so last year, are doing so this season and look forward to continuing this partnership.”
The Edo State Deputy Governor, Comrade Philip Shaibu, who doubles as the Chairman of Bendel Insurance and Edo Queens FC, thanked Sterling Bank for its support.
“Sterling Bank believed in us, they believed in our dream and our vision, and they came in last year to break the jinx of having a corporate entity sponsoring a team in the Nigeria National League and the Nigerian Professional Football League.”
“They brought in N50million last year. But they said we are bringing in our corporate name, which we cherish so much, and I also reminded them that as they cherished their name, we also cherish the Bendel Insurance name. I told them that two important names are coming together. The implication is that they will do well. They said if we do well, they will increase it, and they gave an option of first refusal. Now, we have been promoted and they have increased it,” Shaibu said.
The newly signed deal will see the bank raise the value of the contract with the club to N75million as the club vie for honours in the topflight this season.
Iwobi spoke to Tidesports source ahead of Nigeria’s crunch playoff semi-final against Gabon on Thursday, November 13, in Rabat, Morocco.
The 28-year-old was reacting to Nigeria’s shaky World Cup qualifying campaign that saw the Eagles finish second in Group C behind South Africa’s Bafana Bafana.
“We’ve managed to rescue ourselves from the dead,” Iwobi told Tidesports source.
We know we have the players and the abilities to compete against any other country in the world.”
The Fulham star pointed to Nigeria’s star power, highlighting African Footballer of the Year winners Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen as proof of the squad’s quality.
“We have last year’s African best player (Ademola Lookman), the year before that (Victor Osimhen),” he said.
“It’ll be a shame if we don’t make it, but we have a lot of confidence. We just have to prove it to ourselves.”
Nigeria’s path to the United States, Canada and Mexico has been turbulent, with two coaches departing during the early stages of qualifying before Éric Chelle steadied the ship to steer the Super Eagles into November’s CAF playoffs.
Four nations from the continent – Nigeria, Cameroon, DR Congo and Gabon – will vie for a solitary spot to compete in next March’s inter-confederation playoffs, with a view to joining the already nine qualified African nations at the Finals.
It would mark Iwobi’s second appearance at the World Cup Finals and the Super Eagles’ first since the 2018 edition of the competition.
Back then, Iwobi featured in all three games as Nigeria was knocked out in the group stage.
The Chief Executive Officer(CEO) and Publisher of the Atlantic Bell Online medium, Mr. Celestine Ogolo has advised sports writers in Nigeria to diversify in sports writing and not to concentrate on football reporting alone.
The Deputy National President of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Mr. Bonny Nyong has expressed commitment to support sports development and move SWAN forward.