By Wale Mustapha
Kano Pillars head coach Evans Ogenyi has expressed frustration over what he described as “questionable officiating” in his side’s 1-0 defeat to Abia Warriors in their opening Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) Matchday One clash.
The Pyramid Boys fell behind just before halftime when Paul Samson struck in stoppage time to give Imama Amapakabo’s men the decisive goal in Umuahia.
Kano Pillars thought they had snatched a late equaliser deep into added time, but the effort was ruled out for offside — a decision that sparked debate.
Ogenyi admitted both sides gave a strong account of themselves but insisted officiating played a major role in the outcome.
“It was a keenly contested game from both teams, but it was unfortunate that we lost,” Ogenyi said in his post-match remarks.
“It’s not in my character to query officiating, but I will say we lost to questionable officiating.”
Kano Pillars will aim to bounce back when they host Wikki Tourists in their next fixture at the Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano.
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.
