Lucky Obukohwo Reporting
The Edo State Government, has said it has made no fewer than 30 luxurious buses available to convey football fans to the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium as Bendel Insurance Football Club of Benin host ASO Chief of Algeria in the first round preliminary match of CAF Confederation Cup on Saturday.
The buses owned by the Edo City Transport Service (ECTS), are expected to be stationed at 10 strategic routes in the state capital.
According to the state government, the fans would be picked and returned back to their points of entering which include; Ramat Park, Ring Road by ECTS main Terminal at Mission Road, Ugbowo Uniben Main Gate, Oluku by NIFOR Junction.
Others are Winners Chapel by Sapele Road, ADP and Estate Gate by Airport road, Ojemai Farms by Upper Ekenhuan road, Channel 55 by Upper Siluko Road, Pipeline and Idokpa Aduwawa axis, Total filling station by New Benin, Gorretti and 3rd East Circular junction.
The Nigerian representative in this year’s CAF Confederation Cup Bendel Insurance host fierce rivals ASO Chief in a tie and that the Benin Arsenal must win by wide margin on Saturday in order to have less work to do in the reverse fixture in Algeria.
Addressing sports journalists during a press conference in Benin City, the State Sports Commission Chairman, Yussuf Alli, urged massive support for the Insurance in the Saturday’s first leg encounter.
He added that the encounter is a must win for the home team, hence, the need for the people to throng the stadium enmasse to support the team to victory.
“Our first match will be this Saturday. So we need the whole stadium filled up. We want a full capacity and that is why we are putting all these logistics in place.
“We have decided to throw the gates open and we are going to be running jingos on radios about the match. The first 100 people that will get to the stadium will get 100 free Insurance jerseys.
“On the issue of strategic routes and pick up location for Edo people so that the stadium can be full, we have 10 of such strategic routes.
“We are not just picking them to the stadium, but we are returning them back. At the point of entring, there will be issued free tickets to watch the match”.
In 1994, it would be recalled that the club from Benin City, Bendel Insurance Football Club went all the way in the CAF Cup now CAF Confederation Cup, defeating Primeiro Maio of Angola in the 2nd leg of the final match played at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium 3-0 after losing the first in Angola 1-0.