Kano Pillars Football Club is a Nigerian professional
football club based in
Kano
Kano may refer to:
Places
*Kano State, a state in Northern Nigeria
* Kano (city), a city in Nigeria, and the capital of Kano State
**Kingdom of Kano, a Hausa kingdom between the 10th and 14th centuries
**Sultanate of Kano, a Hausa kingdom between ...
, North Western part of Nigeria. They play in the lower division in Nigerian football, the
Nigeria National League
The Nigerian National League (formerly known as ''National Division 1'') is the second tier of club football in Nigeria.
History
From 1997-2011, the league has been split into 1A for Northern teams and 1B for southern teams. The top two f ...
. Their home stadium is
Sani Abacha Stadium
The Sani Abacha Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Kano, Kano State, Nigeria. It is mostly used for football matches and athletics. The stadium is the home of NPFL side Kano Pillars F.C. The stadium has a capacity of 16,000 and is named after ...
. Kano Pillars FC was founded in 1990, the year in which the professional association football league started in Nigeria. It was an amalgamation of three amateur clubs in
Kano State
Kano State (Hausa: ''Jihar Kano''جىِهَر كَنوُ) (Fula: Leydi Kano 𞤤𞤫𞤴𞤣𞤭 𞤳𞤢𞤲𞤮𞥅 ) is one of the 36 states of Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajee ...
.
History
Founded in 1990, By Alhaji Ibrahim Galadima former chairman
Nigeria Football Association and former sport commissioner of Kano, from the combination of WRECA FC, Kano Golden Stars and Bank of the North FC, Kano Pillars achieved outstanding success by winning the 2007–08 Nigerian Premier League. Kano Pillars produced players like
Abiodun Baruwa who has since played for Swiss, Austrian, Welsh and British Clubs and
Sani Kaita
Sani Haruna Kaita (born 2 May 1986) is a Nigerian former professional association football, footballer who played as a defensive midfielder.
Club career
Kaita was born in Kano (city), Kano, Nigeria. He joined Sparta Rotterdam in the 2005–06 s ...
who later plays for
Sparta Rotterdam in the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
. Another Prominent player is
Ahmed Garba
Ahmed Garba (born 24 May 1980), commonly known as Yaro Yaro, is a Nigerian football manager and former player, who played as a striker.
Career
Garba was a member of the Nigeria national team at the 1998 Carlsberg Cup.
In 1997, he was report ...
'Yaro Yaro' who later plays for
AB in
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark
, establish ...
and a notable player from Kano Pillars FC is
Ahmed Musa
Ahmed Musa (born 14 October 1992) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a forward and left winger for Turkish Süper Lig club Sivasspor and the Nigeria national team.
Musa became the first Nigerian to score more than once in a ...
who played for
Leicester City
Leicester ( ) is a city, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands.
The city lies on the River Soar and close to the eastern end of the National ...
in the
English Premier league
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
after joining from
CSKA Moscow
CSKA Moscow (russian: ЦСКА Москва) is a Russian sports club based in Moscow. It was created in 1911 in the Russian Empire on base of OLLS (Skiing Society, founded 1901). Later, during the Soviet era, it was a central piece of the big So ...
. It was registered as a limited liability company with the
Corporate Affairs Commission, Nigeria, and then registered with the
Nigeria Football Association (NFA) as a professional football club. The Kano Pillars drew an average home league attendance of 10,000 in the 2016 league season.
In the 2020/2021 NPFL season, Kano Pillars were fined a whopping sum of ₦7,500,000.00 for failing to follow the orders of the LMC and NFF, which prohibited fans from viewing live games in the stadium. Fans disrupted a top table clash between Akwa United and Kano Pillars. The game ended 0-0 after it was concluded the following day.
They were relegated from NPFL on 16 July 2022 following the confirmation of a verdict against them for the deduction of 3 points, despite an appeal which the NFF committee disregarded against their complaint.
The verdict on them was a penalty for what their former chairman did to match officials in their encounter with Dakkada FC
Pillars relegated after losing appeal (Goal.com)
/ref>
2009 Champions League
They are also nicknamed "Ahly Killers" as they scored 2 magnificent goals in Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...
and drew with Al Ahly
AL, Al, Ål or al may stand for:
Arts and entertainment Fictional characters
* Al (''Aladdin'') or Aladdin, the main character in Disney's ''Aladdin'' media
* Al (''EastEnders''), a minor character in the British soap opera
* Al (''Fullmetal ...
Cairo in Egypt 2–2 and 1–1 in Nigeria, so the Ahly Killers went to the Group stage in the African Champions League
The CAF Champions League, known for sponsorship purposes as the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and formerly the African Cup of Champions Clubs, is an annual football club competition organized by the Confederation of African Football and co ...
on the away goals rule. They made it to the semi-finals before being eliminated against fellow Nigerian team Heartland
Heartland or Heartlands may refer to:
Businesses and organisations
* Heartland Bank, a New Zealand-based financial institution
* Heartland Inn, a chain of hotels based in Iowa, United States
* Heartland Alliance, an anti-poverty organization i ...
.
Achievements
*Nigerian Premier League
The Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) is the highest level of the Nigerian football league system, for the Nigerian club-football championships.
The Nigerian league has suffered, like many others, from the financial impact and dwind ...
::Champions (4): 2007–08, 2011–12, 2013, 2014.
::Runners-up (1): 2009–10.
*Nigerian FA Cup
The AITEO Cup (a.k.a. Challenge Cup, sometimes shortened to Fed Cup), is the main football single-elimination tournament in Nigeria contested by 74 teams, representing the 36 states + 1 FCT of Nigeria. It is the Nigerian domestic cup and the Nig ...
::Winners (2): 2019, 1953
::Runners-up (2): 1991, 2018.
*Nigerian super cup. 1.winners 2008.
*"'Nigerian super four"'. (runners up)2.
Performance in CAF competitions
* CAF Champions League: 6 appearances
:
:: 2009 – Semi-finals
:: 2011 – First Round
::2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...
– First Round
::2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
– Preliminary Round
:: 2015 – First Round
::2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...
– Preliminary Round
* CAF Confederation Cup: 0 appearance
Current players
''As of 12 February 2023''
Staff
;''Head Coach''/''Technical Adviser''
* Lionel Emmanuel Soccoia
;''Chairman''
* Tukur Babangida
;''general manager''
* Umar Babangida (Little)
;''General Coordinator''
* Salisu Yaro
;''Kit Manager''
* Habibu Zubair Abubakar
;''Marketing Manager''
*
Sani Lawal Mohammed
Notable coaches
* Malik Jabir
Malik Jabir (born 8 December 1944 in Wa) is a retired Ghanaian professional football striker. He is currently a technical advisor for Asante Kotoko S.C. in the Ghana Premier League.
Career
Jabir played club football for Asante Kotoko.
Int ...
(2008–) ''(Technical Adviser)''
* Ahmed Pele Abdu
* Ladan Bosso (2011)
* Baba Ganaru
* Kadiri Ikhana (1991), (1997–98), (2007–08), (2016–date)
* Ivo Sajh (2009)
Notable players
* Rabiu Ali
* Ahmed Musa
Ahmed Musa (born 14 October 1992) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a forward and left winger for Turkish Süper Lig club Sivasspor and the Nigeria national team.
Musa became the first Nigerian to score more than once in a ...
* Junior Lokosa
Junior Sewanu Lokosa (born 23 August 1993) is a Nigerian footballer who plays for Sporting Lagos F.C
Career
Lokosa played for First Bank before moving to Kano Pillars in May 2017. He scored five goals in 14 league games up to the end of the ...
* Chinedu Udoji
* Ndubisi Chukunyere
Ndubisi Chukunyere (born 23 December 1979 in Lagos, Nigeria) is a former Nigerian footballer who last played for Maltese Premier League side Hibernians, in the capacity of striker.
Playing career
Chukunyere began his career as a member of Sta ...
References
External links
Kano Pillars FC Official Website
{{Nigerian Premier League
Football clubs in Nigeria
Kano State
Kano
Association football clubs established in 1990
1990 establishments in Nigeria
Sports clubs in Nigeria