Shooting Stars Sports Club of Ibadan (3SC) brought Bendel Insurance’s nine-game unbeaten streak to an emphatic end with a hard-fought 1–0 victory in their Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) clash at the Lekan Salami Stadium on Sunday.

Eager to respond after their midweek setback against Bayelsa United, the Oluyole Warriors chased a second consecutive home win of 2026, having earlier dismantled Enyimba 3–0 on Matchday 20. In contrast, Kennedy Boboye’s Insurance arrived in Ibadan brimming with confidence, unbeaten in the league since their November 2025 defeat to Plateau United.

Spurred on by a vibrant home crowd, Shooting Stars started brightly and could have gone ahead inside the opening five minutes when Sodiq Ibrahim blazed over from close range. Moments later, midfield maestro Ayobami Junior also failed to hit the target. Insurance threatened at the other end after a defensive lapse in the 3SC area, but goalkeeper Mustapha Lawal reacted sharply to deny Emmanuel Akpan.

The hosts turned up the intensity after the restart, probing relentlessly for the breakthrough. The decisive moment came shortly after the hour mark when coach Nurudeen Aweroro introduced Qamar Adegoke and Tunde Azeez in place of Alex Aghahowa and Emmanuel Lucky, a tactical switch that instantly shifted the momentum.

Adegoke announced his presence almost immediately, seeing two goal-bound efforts blocked by desperate defending. Persistence paid off in the closing stages when the former Nasarawa United forward reacted quickest at the back post to steer home a deflected Ikouwem Utin corner.

Lawal was again called into action in the dying moments, producing a superb save to preserve the slender advantage and seal all three points for the home side.

The victory lifts Shooting Stars to sixth on the NPFL standings, while Bendel Insurance slip to eighth after suffering their first defeat in 10 league outings.

Elsewhere on Sunday, Nasarawa United climbed to second on the table after a spirited 2–1 comeback win away to Abia Warriors in Umuahia. Goals from Habibu Alakija and JoFrank Istifanus overturned Emeka Obioma’s early opener for the hosts.

Home advantage proved decisive in other fixtures, as Rangers edged Warri Wolves, Niger Tornadoes overcame Enyimba, El-Kanemi Warriors defeated Ikorodu City, and Wikki Tourists claimed victory over Kano Pillars.

Matchday 23 of the 2025/26 NPFL season will continue on Wednesday and Thursday, although the Rivers United versus El-Kanemi Warriors fixture has been postponed due to the latter’s continental commitments.