The Nigeria Premier Football League board has lifted the ban on Bendel Insurance head coach Kennedy Boboye. He can now return to the sidelines just days before the new season kicks off, according to PUNCH Sports Extra.
Boboye faced a 17-game ban in March after he was accused of assaulting match officials after the game against Plateau United on matchday 32 last season.
He denied any wrongdoing but missed the last six games of the 2025/26 season because of the ban. Now, the league has cleared him to return before the start of the 2026/27 season after reviewing his case.
In a letter to the club that followed their apology and appeal for a lighter punishment, the NPFL Board confirmed it had looked into the case and the coach's punishment.
"Your good conduct during the ban has been noted and counted as a plus for you," the letter stated.
"Your previous contributions to the country as a player and a member of the national team have also been acknowledged in this review.
"The Board has decided to suspend the rest of your ban. But if you engage in any similar behavior in the next season, the punishment will still apply.
"You are expected to behave well as a coach for an NPFL club since players and younger coaches see you as a role model."
With this news, Boboye is set to return to the Benin Arsenal bench. He will lead the team in the opening match of the 2026/27 season against Warri Wolves in Benin on Sunday, August 30.
Boboye was appointed by Bendel Insurance in October 2025. He helped the club finish fifth in the 2025/26 season, just four points away from a continental spot.
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