Nasarawa United’s dream run in the 2025/26 Nigeria Premier Football League season reached another high on Saturday, as players and staff received a ₦900,000 cash reward following their dramatic 1–0 away win over Bendel Insurance in Benin City.
It was substitute Mohammed Garba who sealed the night’s joy, scoring a stunning 93rd-minute winner at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium to keep the Solid Miners top of the NPFL table with 16 points from seven matches.
Moments after the final whistle, the atmosphere inside the team’s dressing room turned jubilant. Hon. Kwanta Yakubu, Nasarawa State’s Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, fulfilled his ₦500,000 pledge on the spot, praising the players’ determination and grit. Club chairman Isaac Danladi added another ₦200,000, while passionate club supporter Peter “Pepsy” Anyebe rounded up the reward with an extra ₦200,000.
The gesture, totaling ₦900,000, symbolized the belief surrounding this Nasarawa United team; a side that has quietly become the surprise package of the new NPFL season. Under coach Salisu Yusuf, they’ve developed a balance of defensive discipline and counterattacking sharpness, conceding just twice in seven games.
For Bendel Insurance, however, it was another evening of frustration. Despite dominating stretches of play and pushing for a winner, the Benin Arsenal were undone by a late lapse in concentration. With only one win in six, coach Greg Ikhenoba faces mounting pressure to rediscover the team’s spark.
Nasarawa United now turn their focus to their next test – a home fixture against Rangers International in Lafia; where the Solid Miners will look to extend their blistering form and prove that their rise to the summit is no fluke.
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