By Wale Mustapha
Kano Pillars head coach Usman Abdallah has expressed confidence in his team’s ability to recover from their disappointing draw against Heartland FC, as they prepare for their Matchday 13 clash with Lobi Stars this weekend.
The Pyramid Boys will travel to Makurdi for the fixture after dropping two points in a 2-2 draw against Heartland at the Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano last Sunday. The match, which was the first at Pillars’ traditional home ground this season, saw veterans Rabiu Ali and Ahmed Musa score for the hosts.
Despite the disappointment of the stalemate, Abdallah remains optimistic about his team’s chances to recover the dropped points, especially on the road. With seven points already picked up from away games, the coach believes his side can still secure a positive result against Lobi Stars.
“We are a team that enjoys playing both home and away,” Abdallah told Kano Pillars’ media. “With the seven points we’ve already picked on our away trips, I’m confident we can recover the points dropped when we face Lobi Stars.”
Following the draw with Heartland, Kano Pillars dropped to sixth place on the NPFL table, but Abdallah is determined to get back on track and push for a stronger finish.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
