Following the armed robbery attack suffered by Sunshine Stars of Akure on Thursday, the Nigeria Premier Football League management has rescheduled the Match Day 13 game involving Bendel Insurance Football Club of Benin and Sunshine Stars.
The match, earlier scheduled to hold on Saturday, December 9 at the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium, Benin has now been moved to Sunday, December 10, 2023 due to the unfortunate incident in which the team’s Curator was shot in his stomach while the Team Manager sustained some injuries.
The change in the fixture is contained in the circular issued by the Chief Operating Officer of the NPFL, Davidson Owumi.
The shift is to enable the affected Sunshine Stars recover from the psychological impact of the attack.
Meanwhile, Bendel Insurance FC and the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF have sympathized with Sunshine Stars of Akure over the armed robbery attack they suffered on their way to Benin on Thursday evening to honour the NPFL Match Day 13 with Bendel Insurance FC in Benin.
Insurance FC management team who visited the affected team at University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) expressed disappointment with the Nigeria’s system that has allowed insecurity; banditry and armed robbery to thrive in the land. They prayed for the quick recovery of the affected Sunshine Stars officials, particularly the curator.
The Nigeria Football Federation on their part has decried the recent spate of robbery attacks on players and officials of football clubs travelling by road in the country to honour matches in the domestic Leagues, while appealing to security agents to devise other means of protecting road users in the land.
In a statement signed by the NFF General Secretary, Mohammed Sanusi on Friday, the Federation is disturbed by the trend, which has seen players and officials of Nigeria National League club, FC One Rocket and NPFL side Sunshine Stars attacked with persons injured and valuables lost over the past few days.
Kick off time for the rescheduled Bendel Insurance FC and Sunshine Stars match is 4pm at the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium, Benin on Sunday, December 10, 2023.
