NPFL Lifts Kennedy Boboye Suspension Ahead of 2026/27 Season

Posted : 13 August 2026

The Nigeria Premier Football League has lifted the remaining portion of Kennedy Boboye’s suspension, clearing the Bendel Insurance head coach to return to the dugout ahead of the 2026/27 season. The decision was communicated to the club in a letter signed by NPFL Chief Operating Officer Davidson Owumi.

The league board reviewed Boboye’s written apology and Bendel Insurance’s appeal for leniency before deciding to suspend the remainder of the sanction. His conduct during the suspension period and his previous service to Nigeria as a player and national-team technical member were also considered.

Boboye was originally handed a 17-match suspension after the NPFL found him guilty of gross misconduct following Bendel Insurance’s Matchday 32 fixture against Plateau United on March 28. The match ended 2-2 at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City.

The disciplinary case followed incidents involving match officials after the game. The NPFL also sanctioned Bendel Insurance over security and conduct-related breaches connected to the fixture.

Boboye served part of the suspension during the closing stages of the 2025/26 campaign. He subsequently returned to work with the club during preparations for the new season while the remaining portion of his sanction was still under review.

The NPFL has now warned that the suspended part of the punishment will be activated if Boboye is involved in similar misconduct during the next season. The league also expects him to maintain exemplary behaviour in his role as a coach.

The decision comes as Bendel Insurance prepare for another NPFL campaign under Boboye. The Benin-based club finished fifth last season with 56 points from 38 matches, missing out on a continental place by four points.

Boboye had already begun preparations for the new campaign before the suspension was lifted. In July, he challenged his players to improve on their previous performance and set their sights on a top-three finish.

His return provides Bendel Insurance with continuity on the technical bench. The coach took charge in October 2025 and guided the Benin Arsenals to a fifth-place finish despite the disciplinary setback.

Bendel Insurance will now enter the 2026/27 season with Boboye available to lead the team from the touchline. The club will be expected to improve on last season’s fifth-place finish as it targets a stronger challenge for continental qualification.

The NPFL’s decision also brings an end to the immediate uncertainty surrounding Boboye’s availability. He can now prepare for the new campaign without having to serve the outstanding matches of the original 17-game suspension, provided there is no repeat of the conduct that triggered the sanction.

NPFL Lifts Kennedy Boboye Suspension Ahead of 2026/27 Season

ADD A COMMENT :

Hot Topics