Bendel Insurance FC of Benin on Saturday played a 2-2 draw with visiting Kwara United FC of Ilorin in a match day 9 of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) in Benin.

Sadeeq Yusuf got the opener for Kwara United in the 15th minute when he beat the Insurance’s defence to slot the ball into the net.

It took a last-minute goal by Ismael Sarki to salvage a point for the Benin boys in a tension-soaked match decided at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin. 

Bendel Insurance came close to equalising in the 24th minute, but Ezekiel Tamara’s nod slightly missed the target.

Stephen Sodje, however, levelled the score after 27 minutes via a powerful shot from outside the 18-yard box.

Six minutes to the end of the first half, Godwin Oshagbemi beat the hosts’ defence to give the lead to the visitors and ended the stanza 1-2.

Insurance, however, stepped up their game in the second half, but their dominance did not yield any result until stoppage time when Sarki nodded in a cross to restore parity for the hosts.

In a  post-match interview, Coach Kabir Dogo of Kwara United said his side would have won if not for the inexperience of the goalkeeper towards the end of the match.

Dogo said getting a point away was a good result that his team would consolidate in their next matches.

Despite getting a dying-minute draw, Coach Monday Odigie of Bendel Insurance said the match was as he expected.

According to him, the two goals conceded were out of indiscipline by the hosts.

He promised to continue to work on the team to get better results in their other matches. 

(NAN)