Nigeria Professional Football League side Bendel Insurance FC triumphed over Santos FC of Brazil in a pre-season friendly match, reports Nigeriasoccernet.com.
The newly promoted NPFL side defeated the Brazilian giants by two goals to one at the end of ninety minutes at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City on Monday.
Both teams wore the home and away jerseys of Santos FC after the South Americans launched their jerseys in Benin in a bid to renew football relations between Santos and Africa, Nigeria.
The Nigeria Football Supporters Club invited the popular Santos FC to play again in Nigeria after fifty-three years "for them (Santos) to come to Nigeria and see how they can help develop sports in the country. We want to see how this can be used to develop sports in Edo State." National Chairman of Nigerian Football Supporters’ Club, Rev. Samuel Ikpea had said.
In 1969, the Nigerian Civil War was stopped for 48 hours as both sides signed a ceasefire deal in order to allow Nigerians watch Pele play with Santos FC against Raccah Rovers of Kano that held them to a 2-1 in a very entertaining friendly match played at Ahmadu Bello Stadium Kaduna on 26 April 1978.
In the match, Imade Osarenkhoe put Insurance in front 2 minutes into the match before the visitors restored parity in the 30th minutes.
Ebeneza Odeyemi's 58 minutes goal secured the win for Insurance to end score at 2-1.
By Uche Dozie