It wasn’t such a good day at the office for Enyimba Coach Finidi George, who claims that “football is very difficult” after his team played out a goalless draw away to Bendel Insurance during their NPFL game on Saturday. 
The defending champions of the Nigerian Premier League were forced to a 0-0 draw by Bendel Insurance in a hard-fought encounter on Matchday 21, Footballrover reports.
The game, held at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin, saw both sides display impressive defensive resilience, cancelling each other out.
Despite their recent victories, Enyimba struggled to break through Bendel Insurance’s resolute defence in the first half.
The hosts, however, posed a significant threat themselves, with Chisom Okereke, Chukwudi Meze, and Divine Nwachuku coming close to scoring.
The second half saw both coaches make tactical changes, but neither team could find a breakthrough.
Substitute Evans Ogbonda’s free-kick for Bendel Insurance in the 88th minute was the closest either side came to scoring, but Enyimba’s Ojo Olorunleke made a crucial save to preserve the draw.
What about this last minute save ????from @OlorunlekeOjo ?#TogetherForVictory pic.twitter.com/84s18d6qCr
— Enyimba FC (@EnyimbaFC) February 24, 2024
Reflecting on the match, Enyimba manager Finidi George expressed mixed emotions.
The Enyimba coach acknowledged the difficulty of facing Bendel Insurance, emphasising the unpredictable nature of football.
Despite expressing satisfaction with the result, he lamented the challenges encountered during the game, echoing Coach Monday Odigie’s concerns about poor officiating.
“Football is sometimes very difficult. Coach Monday wanted to win while we also wanted to win, or at least get something out of it,” Finidi remarked in his post-match interview.
Meanwhile, the result leaves Enyimba still holding on to their third spot in the NPFL table, while Bendel Insurance remains in eighth.
Full Time
Spoils shared at the end of a keenly contested game.
Bendel Insurance 0-0 Enyimba International. https://t.co/jj0cjsd5Cs
— Bendel Insurance FC (@BendelInsurance) February 24, 2024
With this draw, both teams will now turn their focus to their next fixtures, hoping to improve their fortunes.
Bendel Insurance will be facing a daunting task with back-to-back away games against Shooting Stars and Plateau Utd, while Enyimba FC aims to build on this result when they host relegation-battling side Gombe United.
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