…10th loss of the season for Remo Stars
The troubled start to the season for Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) champions Remo Stars continued on Sunday as they suffered their 10th defeat of the campaign, going down 3–2 at home to Bendel Insurance at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta.
The Sky Blue Stars have endured a difficult campaign following the departure of several key players to foreign clubs during the summer transfer window. Their struggles were compounded by a disappointing exit in the second round of the CAF Champions League to South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns, and they have since found it hard to regain consistency in the domestic league.
Remo Stars were hoping to bounce back from a 2–1 loss to Bayelsa United but were stunned by a dominant first-half display from Bendel Insurance, who went into the break with a commanding 3–1 lead.
Wisdom Udom opened the scoring for the visitors in the 14th minute, before Henry Onyia doubled the advantage in the 28th minute. Remo Stars pulled one back two minutes later through Olalekan Adeleke, but Bendel Insurance restored their two-goal cushion with another strike in the 40th minute.
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Victor Mbaoma reduced the deficit in the 60th minute to give the hosts hope, but Bendel Insurance held firm defensively to protect their lead. Remo Stars came agonisingly close to an equaliser in the 66th minute, only for Ahmed Akinyele’s effort to crash against the woodwork.
The defeat sees the defending champions drop to 15th on the NPFL table. Bendel Insurance leapfrogged them into 10th place with 23 points from 18 matches, recording five wins, eight draws, and five losses.
Stand-in head coach Sulaiman Folarin expressed disappointment with the result but urged patience as the club continues its rebuilding process.
“We tried our best, but I think we were very unlucky not to get at least a point from the game,” Folarin said after the loss. “The fans should be patient with us. This is football – you win some, lose some, and draw some.”
The coach added that the team is still undergoing a rebuild, with only three experienced players featuring in the matchday squad.
“The results haven’t been good this season because we are rebuilding. The team that played today had just three old players,” he explained. “I believe we will bounce back, and the fans will be happy with us again before the end of the season.”
Remo Stars have been playing their home matches away from their traditional base in Ikenne due to ongoing reconstruction work at their stadium.
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