Sports
NPFL: Nasarawa United Beats Insurance, Extend Lead
Mohammed Garba struck in the 93rd minute to hand the Solid Miners all three points at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium and maintain their unbeaten start to the season.
The late winner came as a devastating blow to the home side, who had battled valiantly throughout the contest but were ultimately undone by Garba’s stoppage-time strike.
The victory takes Nasarawa United to 16 points from seven games, consolidating their position at the summit of the NPFL standings.
Coach Salisu Yusuf’s side have now gone six league matches without defeat, establishing themselves as the team to beat this season.
Bendel Insurance, meanwhile, remain in the lower half of the table with just six points from six games.
The Benin Arsenal have struggled for consistency this campaign, managing only one victory in their last six outings.
Coach Greg Ikhenoba’s side were dealt a further blow as they played the encounter without suspended full-back Henry Onyia, who received a red card in their previous match against Bayelsa United.
The defeat leaves Bendel Insurance with work to do as they seek to climb away from the relegation zone.
Nasarawa United have been the standout performers in the early stages of the season, scoring six goals while conceding just twice in their opening fixtures.
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.
