The experienced gaffer has been suspended for 17 matches and fined ₦2 million for exhibiting gross misconduct towards a match official during Bendel Insurance’s Matchday 32 encounter against Plateau United (which ended 2-2) at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City.
According to the league’s disciplinary panel, Boboye’s actions went against the principles of fair play and discipline expected from coaches in the NPFL.
Additional Sanctions on the Club
Bendel Insurance have also been ordered to play their next three home games behind closed doors as part of the sanctions related to the incident.
Impact on the Benin Arsenals
The lengthy suspension is a significant blow for Bendel Insurance, who currently sit in 7th position on the NPFL table with 46 points after 32 matches. Boboye has been instrumental in the team’s resurgence this season, steering them towards a possible top-half finish and even CAF competition contention.
The club will now have to appoint an interim or assistant coach to handle the technical affairs for a large chunk of the remaining fixtures, as the 2025/26 season enters its decisive phase.
This is one of the harshest individual coaching bans issued in the NPFL this season, underscoring the league’s zero-tolerance stance on misconduct towards match officials.
Bendel Insurance and Coach Boboye are yet to issue an official reaction to the sanctions as at the time of this report.
A tough pill to swallow for the Benin Arsenals at this critical stage of the campaign. What are your thoughts on the severity of the punishment? Let’s discuss below.