Bendel Insurance players

Jethro Ibileke/Benin

The Benin Arsenal, Bendel Insurance FC of Benin, was weekend listed among the eight teams considered for promotion to the elite Nigeria Professional Football League, NPFL.

The team gained promotion to the elite division after over a decade of playing at the lower divisions.

The decision was one of the major decisions taken on Saturday, at the end of the Nigeria National League, NNL Annual General Meeting, AGM, held in Abuja.

However, this recommendation is expected to be communicated to the League Management Committee, LMC, today (Monday) ahead of all the stakeholders meeting scheduled for later in the week where the decision is expected to be ratified.

The eight teams that qualified from the four zones are Bendel Insurance FC and their archrival, 3SC of Ibadan, Remo Stars FC, Delta Force FC, Kogi United FC, Gombe United FC, Real Stars FC and Kada FC of Kaduna.

It was the determination of the Edo State Government that the Insurance FC moved to the premier league division, with the Deputy Governor, Comrade Philip Shaibu, as the moving spirit in the team.

At the end of the meeting, the highest decision organ of the NNL agreed that all the eight teams that qualified for the Super 8 be given automatic promotion to the elite league division.

It was the consensus of the executive body of the NNL to cancel the controversial Super 8 hitherto agreed at the beginning of the league season, ostensibly, due to time constrain.

The 2018/19 League Season is therefore expected to kick off December 1, 2018.