By Ayodele Oni
Governor of Edo State, Mr Godwin Obaseki, desirous that the home based team, Bendel Insurance Football Club wins the preliminary match of CAF Confederation cup, is spearheading mobilization of sports lovers for the intercontinental encounter.
The governor has called on sports loving Edo people to come out in their large number to cheer Bendel Insurance Football Club to victory against ASO Chlef FC of Algeria on Saturday at the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium, Benin.
The Benin Arsenals and the Algerian opponents ASO Chlef are scheduled to lock horns in the 2023/24 CAF Confederations Cup first preliminary game on Saturday in Benin. Kick off time is 4:00 PM.
The Governor made the call through his Chief Press Secretary Mr Andrew Okungbowa and the Chairman, Edo state Sports Commission Olympian Yusuf Alli during a press conference at the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium, Benin City.
Okungbowa disclosed that the state government has made provision for 30 luxurious buses to convey football fans to the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium to cheer Bendel Insurance FC to victory.
According to Okungbowa, the state government is doing everything possible to give Insurance the support needed for them to triumph over their opponents on Saturday.
“To us, this is historic being that our darling team is playing at the continental level after many decades.
“Our Governor is very interested in the wellbeing of Bendel Insurance FC players and officials.
“The Governor is aware and appreciative of Bendel Insurance exploits, winning the Nigeria Football Federation cup, hence he has directed all of us to ensure that no stone is left unturned in ensuring that Insurance triumph over their opponents ASO Chlef on Saturday.
“We want massive support for Bendel Insurance FC and the Governor is starting the motivation of the players by training with them at the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium on Thursday.
The Nigerian representative in this year’s CAF Confederation Cup, must win by wide margin on Saturday in order to have less work to do in the reverse fixture in Algeria on August 27.
The Edo Sports Commission Chairman, Olympian Yussuf Alli, urged massive support for Bendel Insurance in the Saturday’s first leg encounter.
He maintained that the encounter is a must win for the home team, hence, the need for the people to come to the stadium to cheer the team to victory.
“Our first match will be this Saturday. So we need the whole stadium filled up. We want a full capacity and that is why we are putting all these logistics in place.
“We have decided to throw the gates open and we are going to be running jingles on radios about the match. The first 100 people that will get to the stadium will get 100 free Insurance jerseys.
In 1994, the then Bendel Insurance Football Club went all the way in the CAF Cup now CAF Confederation Cup, defeating Primeiro Maio of Angola in the second leg of the final match played at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium 3-0 after losing the first in Angola 1-0.
