By Wale Mustapha
Kano Pillars Football Club have officially announced the appointment of veteran coach Evans Ogenyi as their new Technical Adviser ahead of the 2025/2026 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season.
Ogenyi replaces Usman Abdallah, who stepped down from the role by mutual agreement with the club’s management.
This marks Ogenyi’s second stint with the Pyramid Boys, having previously led the club back to the NPFL in 2023. His latest appointment takes immediate effect.
The well-travelled tactician most recently served as an assistant coach at Rivers United, a former NPFL champion, before departing last month following the expiration of his contract.
Ogenyi has also managed other top-tier Nigerian clubs including Warri Wolves and Lobi Stars, and brings decades of experience to the Kano-based side as they prepare for the upcoming campaign.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey 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.
