•calls for massive support for home team
Edo State Government, on Friday, said it has made no fewer than 15,000 free tickets available for residents, as Bendel Insurance Football Club of Benin lock horns with visiting Renaissance Sportive de Berkane of Morocco, Saturday at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin.
Governor Obaseki, however, called on Edo residents to come out and support the Benin Arsenal as Insurance is fondly called in the first leg encounter of the CAF Confederation Cup 2nd preliminary round which promises to be exciting.
Addressing a press conference on Friday ahead of the match, the State Sports Commission Chairman, Yussuf Alli, said that in addition to the free tickets, there would also be free buses that will convey residents to the stadium and back to their destinations.
He said that Governor Obaseki, will be leading support for the home team on Saturday and called on the people to come out en masse to cheer the Benin sides to victory.
Insurance qualified for the second preliminary round after seeing off Algerian powerhouse ASO Chlef on penalties, as Insurance went into the second leg of the game with a 1-0 lead from home.
Faraway in Algeria, it ended 1-0 in favour of the home team but heroics from Bendel Insurance shoot stopper Amas Obasogie, who saved two penalties (one at regulation time; and one during the penalty shootout) saw the team progress to the next round.
Insurers are making a return to the continent for the first time since 2005 and have surpassed people’s expectations with their place booked in the second round.
The team will fancy their chances once again to pull what could be the second preliminary round upset if they advance at the expense of the highly rated Barkane side.
The Orange Boys (RS Berkane), who arrived in the ancient city of Benin on Thursday evening after departing the Wajda-Angad Airport in Morocco via a charted flight to Lagos were drawn bye in the first round.
RSB, who won the Morrocan Federation Cup known as the Throne Cup for the third time in their history this season qualified for the preliminary round after finishing 6th in the Morrocan league with 44 points.
The 2021/2022 winners had their first training at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium football pitch on Friday.
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