Bendel Insurance head coach Greg Ikhenoba is staying calm despite a rocky start to the new Nigeria Premier Football League season.

After securing just one point from their opening two games, Ikhenoba assured fans that his team will improve as the campaign progresses, Footballrover reports.

Greg Ikhenoba Confident Bendel Insurance Will Bounce Back

His message was clear: patience and faith are needed because one point from six isn’t the end of the road in their NPFL title chase.

The Benin Arsenals began the season with a 2-0 loss away to Elkanemi Warriors before being held to a 1-1 draw at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium by Shooting Stars.

Speaking after the game, Ikhenoba admitted his team’s attacking struggles but remained upbeat about their chances.

— “Every coach has his or her philosophy and game plans, but sometimes it doesn’t go as planned, and that doesn’t mean the team is bad. We created a lot of scoring chances that our strikers missed,” Ikhenoba said.

The coach added that,

— “Our strikers were in a hurry to score and ended up throwing away the chances. We will continue to work on the areas we have issues with, and I am confident we will get it fixed and goals will start coming.”

Nigeria Premier League Still Fresh, Says Ikhenoba

The coach stressed that the league is only just beginning, and there is plenty of time for Insurance to correct their mistakes.

— “Yes, two matches are gone; we have only one point and one goal out of supposedly six points, but that is not enough to write my team off. One point out of six in the first two matches is not the end of the league and will not translate to how we end the league. The league is very fresh; I am confident we will get the job done,” he added.

The second matchday saw Shooting Stars take an early lead through Ayodele Ismail before Alex Oweilayefa struck a classy header to score his NPFL debut goal and level for Insurance.

Despite tactical changes, the game ended in a 1-1 stalemate.

What’s Next for Insurance?

The Benin Gunners will travel to Kano for their next test against newly promoted Barau FC.

Ikhenoba has urged supporters to remain patient as his team looks to rediscover their sharpness in front of goal and put early setbacks behind them.

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Last Updated on September 3, 2025 10:14 am by footballrover