By our Sports Writer in Ikenne
FOOTBALL returned to the shiny, state-of-the-art Remo Stars Stadium yesterday—but for the home fans, the dream turned into a nightmare in a five-goal thriller that left the Ikenne “Sky Blues” feeling blue.
In a stadium that wouldn’t look out of place in the English Championship, it was Bendel Insurance who provided the Premier League quality, snatching a breathless 3-2 victory in a match that had everything but a quiet moment.
The Remo Stars Stadium, a gleaming 5,000-seater jewel in Ogun State, looked every bit the “Mini Wembley” it’s been dubbed. With its lush, carpet-like turf and fans practically breathing down the necks of the players, the atmosphere was electric from the first whistle.
But the fancy floodlights and VIP boxes couldn’t save the hosts from a first-half horror show.
Bendel Insurance, the “Benin Gunners,” came out firing. They didn’t care for the hospitality, silencing the home crowd after just 14 minutes when W. Udom found the net.
By the 29th minute, it was two, as C. Nwosu capitalized on a defensive lapse that left the Ikenne faithful rubbing their eyes in disbelief.
Remo’s O. Adeleke offered a glimmer of hope just two minutes later, stabbing home to make it 2-1 and sending the Remo ultra-fans into a frenzy. For a moment, the modern stands were rocking.
But the joy lasted as long as a British summer. Before the half-time oranges were even sliced, Insurance struck again to make it 3-1, leaving the Sky Blue Stars with a mountain to climb under their own high-tech roof.
Remo threw the kitchen sink at the visitors in the second half.
They clawed one back in the 62nd minute to set up a grandstand finish. The “Blue Wall” of supporters roared, sensing a comeback on their hallowed ground.
But despite the international-standard facilities and the roar of the Ikenne crowd, the Benin boys held firm. When the final whistle blew, the scoreboard at the most modern ground in Nigeria told the story: Remo Stars 2, Bendel Insurance 3.
A masterclass in clinical finishing—and a reminder that even in the fanciest stadium, it’s what happens on the grass that counts.
