Kwara United Football Club suffered a disappointing 2-1 home defeat to visiting Bendel Insurance in their Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) Matchday 11 fixture at the Rashidi Yekini Mainbowl of the George Innih Stadium, Ilorin, on Sunday.

Both teams opened the match cautiously, adopting a measured tactical approach as they attempted to establish dominance and create clear goalscoring opportunities.

Aliyu Ferinyaro and Uche Jaguar came close to opening the scoring for the Harmony Boys during the first half, but their efforts were repeatedly thwarted by the resilient defensive line of the Benin Arsenal.

Kwara United were forced to make an early substitution in the 17th minute when Anthony Nnamdi sustained a knock and was replaced by Mighty Emmanuel.

Despite moments of pressure from both sides, the first half ended goalless.

The hosts restarted the second half with heightened intensity and broke the deadlock in the 49th minute through Stephen Gideon. Ferinyaro unleashed a powerful strike that was parried by the Bendel Insurance goalkeeper, enabling Gideon to pounce on the rebound and slot the ball into the net.

However, the lead was short-lived as Kayode Oke restored parity for the visitors in the 52nd minute, capitalizing on an unmarked loose ball inside the penalty area.

Bendel Insurance completed their comeback three minutes later when Chinedu Nwosu scored in the 55th minute to give the Benin-based outfit a 2-1 advantage.

Kwara United subsequently intensified their attacking play in search of an equalizer, introducing strategic personnel changes to alter the trajectory of the match.

Nevertheless, the visitors held firm in defense, shielding their lead until the final whistle.

Speaking during the post-match press conference, Kwara United assistant coach Ladi Ojokojo, who represented Head Coach Ashifat Suleiman, expressed regret over the defeat while maintaining optimism regarding the squad's long-term prospects. He assured supporters that the technical crew would work to restore the team to winning ways.

The setback leaves Kwara United 14th on the NPFL standings, holding 12 points from 11 matches.

The Harmony Boys will travel to face Rangers International in Owerri next weekend as they aim to recover from the home defeat.