Tenebe Targets NPFL Title As Bendel Insurance Begins New Season
Bendel Insurance chairman, Jarrett Tenebe, says the club is determined to end its 47-year wait for the Nigeria Premier Football League title during the 2026/27 season.
Tenebe made the declaration ahead of Edo Queens’ CAF Women’s Champions League WAFU B campaign in Burkina Faso, expressing confidence that the Benin-based club’s preparations have put it in a strong position to challenge for the championship.
Bendel Insurance will begin its NPFL27 campaign on Sunday, August 30, when it hosts Warri Wolves at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City. The encounter is scheduled to kick off at 4 p.m.
The Benin Arsenals last won the top-flight title in 1979, having previously claimed the championship in 1973. They finished fifth in each of the last two seasons and are now targeting a third league crown.
Tenebe attributed the club’s improved prospects to better recruitment, preparations and incentives for players.
He revealed that scoring goals had been a major problem when he assumed office as chairman last season, leading him to introduce financial rewards for every goal scored by the team.
“When I joined Bendel Insurance FC last year as chairman of the club, they were at the bottom of the table,” Tenebe said.
“The first thing I did was to tie a certain amount of money to every goal scored. Each goal actually attracted a reasonable amount of money, and that changed everything.”
According to the chairman, the incentive helped improve the team’s performances and contributed to its strong finish last season, although Insurance narrowly missed out on continental qualification.
“I’m happy the strategy worked for us, and we almost secured a place on the continent. I have the confidence that we are going to get it right this time with the preparations we have made,” he added.
There is also growing excitement around football in Edo State, with Edo Queens making progress in the CAF Women’s Champions League WAFU B qualifiers in Burkina Faso.
Edo Queens recently defeated Ivorian side ASEC Mimosas 3-1, boosting hopes of continental success for the state.
For Bendel Insurance, however, the focus is firmly on the NPFL, with Tenebe hoping the club’s improved preparations can finally deliver another league title to Benin City.
Tenebe made the declaration ahead of Edo Queens’ CAF Women’s Champions League WAFU B campaign in Burkina Faso, expressing confidence that the Benin-based club’s preparations have put it in a strong position to challenge for the championship.
Bendel Insurance will begin its NPFL27 campaign on Sunday, August 30, when it hosts Warri Wolves at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City. The encounter is scheduled to kick off at 4 p.m.
The Benin Arsenals last won the top-flight title in 1979, having previously claimed the championship in 1973. They finished fifth in each of the last two seasons and are now targeting a third league crown.
Tenebe attributed the club’s improved prospects to better recruitment, preparations and incentives for players.
He revealed that scoring goals had been a major problem when he assumed office as chairman last season, leading him to introduce financial rewards for every goal scored by the team.
“When I joined Bendel Insurance FC last year as chairman of the club, they were at the bottom of the table,” Tenebe said.
“The first thing I did was to tie a certain amount of money to every goal scored. Each goal actually attracted a reasonable amount of money, and that changed everything.”
According to the chairman, the incentive helped improve the team’s performances and contributed to its strong finish last season, although Insurance narrowly missed out on continental qualification.
“I’m happy the strategy worked for us, and we almost secured a place on the continent. I have the confidence that we are going to get it right this time with the preparations we have made,” he added.
There is also growing excitement around football in Edo State, with Edo Queens making progress in the CAF Women’s Champions League WAFU B qualifiers in Burkina Faso.
Edo Queens recently defeated Ivorian side ASEC Mimosas 3-1, boosting hopes of continental success for the state.
For Bendel Insurance, however, the focus is firmly on the NPFL, with Tenebe hoping the club’s improved preparations can finally deliver another league title to Benin City.
