2026 President Federation Cup:Bendel Insurance edge Katsina United Juniors 2-1

2026 President Federation Cup:Bendel Insurance edge Katsina United Juniors 2-1

Bendel Insurance Football Club on Tuesday booked their place in the round of 32 of the 2026  President Federation Cup .

The team achieved this after rallying from a goal down to beat Katsina United Juniors FC 2-1 in their Round of 64 clash on Tuesday at the Area 3 Football Pitch, Abuja.

Voice Media Trust (VMT NEWS) reports that the match kicked off with the amateur side stunning the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) outfit in the 36th minute.

Abdulrahman Saidu calmly finished off a fine assist from Zahadeen Abubakar to hand Katsina United Juniors a 1-0 lead heading into the break.

Bendel Insurance, a Nigeria Premier Football League side, returned stronger in the second half and piled pressure on their opponents.

 Insurance returned with renewed intensity and eventually found their breakthrough when the game turned in a dramatic 57th  minute.

While Emmanuel Dung’s follow-up effort rattled the crossbar before Kayode Oke reacted quickest to slot home the rebound for the equaliser to make it 1-1.

Moments later, Oke grabbed his second of the game after a costly defensive error by Katsina United Juniors in the 81st minute .

 The goalkeeper Yahaya rushed off his line unnecessarily, and the forward capitalised on the mix-up to complete the comeback and seal a 2-1 victory for Bendel Insurance.

Speaking after the match, Bendel Insurance captain ,Stanley Okorom praised his side’s resilience, determination and the team’s experience made the difference.

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“We knew the match would not be easy in spite of our experience. Going behind motivated us to fight harder, and thankfully we got the win.

“Our coach told us to remain focused and never give up. Last season we reached the quarterfinals, but this year our ambition is to win the trophy,” he said.

Aminu Musa , the head coach of Katsina United Juniors also commended his players for their spirited display in spite of  the defeat.

“The boys gave a good account of themselves and followed instructions. They are amateurs, but they showed quality and determination.

“We were unhappy with some officiating decisions, especially a penalty appeal we felt should have been awarded.

“I spoke to the referee  after because we felt there were some officiating errors, especially a penalty appeal that wasn’t given.

“ I wish Bendel Insurance the best going forward. We will go back and correct our mistakes,” he said.

VMT NEWS report that the  round of 64 fixtures of the 2026 President Federation Cup continue across different centres in Nigeria this week, with victorious teams advancing to the Round of 32.