Tenebe targets NPFL title as Insurance begins season

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Bendel Insurance chairman, Jarrett Tenebe, has expressed confidence that the Benin Arsenals can end their 47-year wait for a Nigeria Premier Football League title in the 2026/27 season.

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Tenebe stated this while speaking with journalists ahead of Edo Queens’ CAF Women’s Champions League WAFU B campaign in Burkina Faso, insisting that the club’s preparations have positioned it to mount a serious title challenge.

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Bendel Insurance will open its NPFL27 campaign on Sunday, August 30, against Warri Wolves at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City, with kick-off scheduled for 4 p.m.

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The club, which won the topflight title in 1973 and 1979, finished fifth in each of the last two seasons and is targeting a third league crown.

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Tenebe said improved recruitment, preparations and player incentives would strengthen the team’s chances of challenging for the championship.

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He recalled that goal-scoring had been a major weakness when he assumed office as chairman last season, prompting him to introduce financial incentives for players for every goal scored.

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“When I joined Bendel Insurance FC last year as chairman of the club, they were at the bottom of the table,” Tenebe said.

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“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.”

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According to him, the incentive contributed to the team’s improved performance and helped Insurance finish strongly last season, narrowly missing out on continental qualification.

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Tenebe expressed satisfaction with the impact of the initiative, saying the club had built on last season’s experience in preparing for the new campaign.

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“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 said.

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His optimism comes amid renewed enthusiasm around football in Edo State, with Edo Queens also making progress in the CAF Women’s Champions League WAFU B qualifiers in Burkina Faso.

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Edo Queens recently defeated ASEC Mimosas of Ivory Coast 3-1, strengthening the state’s hopes of achieving success in both women’s continental football and men’s domestic competition.

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For Bendel Insurance, however, the immediate target is clear: to translate its improved preparations into a title-winning NPFL campaign and bring the league trophy back to Benin City.

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