
The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) board has officially suspended the touchline ban placed on Bendel Insurance head coach Kennedy Boboye, clearing him to return to the dugout just days before the start of the new season.
Boboye was originally handed a hefty 17-game ban in March after the tactician was alleged to have assaulted match officials at the end of a highly contentious Matchday 32 clash against Plateau United last season.
Although Boboye consistently denied any wrongdoing, he was forced to miss the remaining six games of the 2025/26 season due to the severe suspension.
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Following a careful review of his case, the league body has now fully cleared him to resume his coaching duties ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.
In a formal letter addressed to the club, in response to Bendel Insurance’s official letter of apology and appeal for leniency, the NPFL Board confirmed the immediate suspension of the remaining duration of his sanction.
“Your good conduct in the intervening period of the sanction has been taken into consideration and counted as a positive for you,” the NPFL’s letter read. The board also noted that his past service to the country, both as a player and a technical member of the national team, played a crucial role in their decision to review the case.
However, the league issued a stern warning that the remainder of the punishment will be fully served out if he is involved in any similar misconduct over the next season.
The board emphasized that he is expected to exhibit exemplary behaviour in his role as a coach, reminding him that players and junior coaches look up to him as a role model.
Following this favorable review, Boboye is now officially cleared to return to the Benin Arsenal bench. He will lead the team in their opening fixture of the 2026/27 season against Warri Wolves in Benin on Sunday, August 30.
Boboye was appointed by Bendel Insurance in October 2025 and previously guided the club to a commendable fifth-place finish in the 2025/26 season, narrowly missing out on a continental qualification spot by just four points.

