Former NPFL champions Kano Pillars extend winless run to three games after 1-1 home draw vs Sporting Lagos. Valentin Ugwa and Abdullahi Musa scored as Clinton Lawani starred on his first start of the season in matchday 7 of the EuroMatch NPFL.
READ ALSO:
Former EuroMatch NPFL champions Kano Pillars have failed to win in three successive matches this season following a pulsating and frustrating 1-1 draw at home against newly promoted side Sporting Lagos on Saturday in the opening game of Matchday 7 of the 26/27 Nigeria Premier Football League season.
The result at the Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano extends a worrying mini slump for Sai Masu Gida, who had previously played out a goalless 0-0 draw with nine times champions Enyimba International at home on Matchday 5 and had earlier been held to a 1-1 draw away at Inter Lagos on Matchday 6. What was supposed to be a return to winning ways against the Lagos based Tech Boys turned into another afternoon of missed chances, defensive lapses and goalkeeping heroics from the opposition.
For Sporting Lagos, the point was a massive statement. It was their seventh point in four away matches this season with a record of two wins, one draw and one loss on the road arguably the best away record in the league so far. The result cements their reputation as fearless travellers and a team that did not come to the NPFL just to make up the numbers.
PRESSURE MOUNTING ON PILLARS
Going into Matchday 7, the context was clear. Kano Pillars, four times NPFL champions and one of the most decorated clubs in Nigerian football history, were under pressure to win.
After a bright start to the season that saw them pick up wins against lower table sides, Daniel Ogunmodede men had stuttered. The 0-0 against Enyimba was seen as a decent result given the quality of the opposition, but the 1-1 at Inter Lagos, where they had led and then conceded a late equaliser, left fans frustrated.
With the 11 point from 6 games before Saturday, Pillars sat outside the top four, and with titles rivals Remo Stars, Rangers Inter and Enyimba all picking up form, they knew that dropping points at home against a newly promoted side was simply not an option.
Ogunmodede, who took over the Kano giants at the start of last season and led them to a respectable third place finish, fielded what many considered his strongest possible XI. The legendary Rabiu Ali captained the side in midfield, with super Eagles legend Ahmed Musa leading the attack alongside the in form Yahaya Ibrahim and Fabian Nworie. The experience in the Pillars squad was overwhelming compared to Sporting Lagos.
Sporting Lagos, on the other hand, came into the game with nothing to lose and everything to gain. The Tech Boys, owned by Shola Akinlade and backed by a vibrant young fanbase in Lagos, earened promotion last season after winning the Nigeria National League Super 8 playoffs. Under their charismatic coach Jeffrey Buter, they have adopted a modern, high pressing, possession based style that has suprised many traditional NPFL teams
Before the Kano trip, they had 9 points from 6 games, an impressive return for a debutant side.
Ogunmodede men were clear favourites going into the first game of Matchday 7. The bookmakers, the pundits and the home fans all expected a comfortable Pillars win. But football, as always, had other plans.
A BIZARRE SELECTION THAT PAID OFF: THE LAWANI GAMBLE
In what many may see as a bizarre selection decision ahead of kick-off, Sporting Lagos head coach Jeffrey Buter decided to make a bold and risky call in goal. He handed 21 year old shot stopper Clinton Lawani his first start of the season ahead of their establishment first choice goalkeeper Ebenezer Harcourt.
Harcourt, who had been ever present for Sporting Lagos since their NNL days and had kept two clean sheets in six games this season, was surprisingly dropped to the bench. No injury was reported. It was purely a tactical decision.
Lawani, a former Flying Eagles invitee who joined Sporting Lagos from Beyond Limits FA in the summer, had only played once before a 15 minute cameo in the Federation Cup. To hand him his full debut in one of the most intimidating venues in Nigerian football, the Sani Abacha Stadium, with its passionate and vociferous crowd, was seen as a massive gamble.
But Buter, who has earned a reputation as a maverick coach who trusts youth, Knew what he was doing.
Lawani did not disappoint. In fact, he produced one of the finest goalkeeping displays of the entire NPFL season so far.
From the first whistle, Kano Pillars, spurred on by their home fans, started on the front foot. In the 7th minute, Rabiu Ali, the evergreen 44 year old midfielder, tried his trademark long-range effort from 25 yards. It was heading for the top corner before Lawani, at full stretch, tipped it over the bar.
In the 18th minute. Ahmed Musa, showing flashes of his old Premier League quality, cut inside from the left and unleashed a curling right footed effort that looked destined for the far post. Again, Lawani was equal to it, diving low to his right to parry it away.
Yahaya Ibrahim, Pillars top scorer this season with 4 goals, had two glorious chances in the space of three minutes. First in the 26th minute, he was put through on goal by Rabiu Ali defence splitting pass, but Lawani rushed off his line brilliant to narrow the angle and block with his legs. Then in the 29th minute, from the resulting corner, Ibrahima powerful header from 6 yards was somehow kept out by Lawani, who even pulled off a sensational double save, first stopping the header and then reacting instantly to push away Fabian Nworie follow up shot from the rebound.
By half hour mark, Lawani had made 5 saves, and the home crowd was starting to get restless. Kano Pillars had 72% possession and 9 shot, but the scoreline remained 0-0 thanks to the young goalkeeper.
THE TWIST BEFORE HALF TIME
Football is often cruel to the team that dominates and fails to score. And just as it seemed Kano Pillars would go into the break frustrated but level, the Tech Boys produced a classic suckere punch.
The goal came in stoppage time before the break, in the first minutes of added time in the first half 45+1.
Sporting Lagos, who had barely ventured forward, won a rare corner after a quick counter attack led by their winger Jonathan Alukwu. Alukwu cross was deflated behind for a corner. The corner was swung in by their captain, Tochukwu Michael, and it caused absolute chaos in the Pillars box.
Pillars goalkeeper Onyebuchi Frank, who had been spectator for most of the half, came out to punch but couldn't deal with the attacking threat. His punch was weak and fell straight to an onrushing Sporting Lagos midfielder. That midfielder shot was blocked on the line by Pillars defender Habibuu Yakubu, but the rebound fell kindly to Valentine Ugwu, the former Heartland attacking midfielder, who pounced on the follow up to roll the ball into an empty net to give Sporting Lagos a shock 1-0 lead.
The Sani Abacha Stadium fell silent. Ugwu, who had been relatively quiet until then, wheeled away in celebration, joined by his teammates who knew the importance of the goal. It was Ugwu second goal of the season and arguably the most important one for Sporting Lagos so far.
For Kano Pillars, it was a nightmare scenario. To dominate so completely and concede from the opposition first shot on target was a bitter pill to swallow. The players trooped off at halftime with their heads down, while Daniel Ogunmodede was seen having an animated discussion with his assistant on the touchline.
PILLARS HIT BACK IMMEDIATELY
Whatever Ogunmodede said at halftime worked instantly. Kano Pillars came out for the second half with renewed intensity and purpose.
They did not have to wait long for the equaliser. The Tech Boys lead only lasted three minutes into the second half.
In the 48th minute, Pillars won a corner on the right side. Captain fantastic Rabiu Ali, known for his pinpoint delivery, stepped up to take it. He whipped in an inswinging corner with his left foot, curling it towards the back post with pace and precious. And there was Abdullahi Musa, the towering central defender who had come forward for the set piece, who rose above his marker, Sporting Lagos defender Patrick Okon, and powered a thumping header home at the back post to level the score for Kano Pillars at 1-1.
It was Musa's first goal of the season and a vital one. The stadium erupted. 1-1, and the momentum was now firmly with the home side. It felt like only a matter of time before Pillars would go on to find a winner.
LAWANI CONTINUES HIS HEROICS
But Sporting Lagos, and Lawani in particular, has other ideas.
Just before the hour mark, in the 59th minute, Kano Pillars were awarded a free kick in a very dangerous position, about 22 yards from goal post, slightly to the left of centre. This was prime Rabiu Ali territory. The veteran has scored countless free kicks from this exact spot in his 17 years career for Pillars.
All stepped up, and struck a beautiful, curling free kick over the wall, heading for the top left corner. The crowd was already on its feet ready to celebrate. But Lawani, showing incredible athleticism and anticipation, flew across his goal and stayed alert to keep out Rabiu Ali’s free kick with a one hand save, pushing it into the crossbar and out for a corner. It was a save worthy of winning any Man of the Match award.
That save seemed to deflate Pillars and inspire Sporting Lagos. The visitors grew in confidence, defending deeper but with incredible organizations.
OGUNMODEDE ROLLS THE DICE: FIVE SUBSTITUTIONS
Seeing that his team was struggling to break down a resolute and well drilled Sporting Lagos defence, Kano Pillars coach Ogunmodede decided to switch things up dramatically with his playing personnel.
Between the 65th and 78th minute, he made a quintuple substitution, throwing everything he had in attack. He sent on Nasiru Salihu, Nazifi Yahaya, Ibrahim Sani Haliru, Ubong Friday and Rivio Ayemwenre for Rabiu Ali, Ahmed Musa, Fabian Nworie, Yahaya Ibrahim and Shola Abdulraheem in a bid to force a winner.
It was a bold, almost desperate move. He took off his two most experience players, Rabiu Ali and Ahmed Musa, to inject fresh legs and pace. The idea was to stretch the Sporting Lagos defence with the speed of Ubong Friday and the trickery of Nazifi Yahaya.
For a few minutes, it looked like it might work. In the 72nd minute, Ubong Friday broke through on the right and cut the ball back for Nazifi Yahaya, whose shot from 12 yards was blocked by a last ditch tackle from Chisom Orji.
In the 81st minute, Rivio Ayemwenre, the former Bendel Insurance striker, had a golden chance when he was left unmarked at the far post from a cross, but his header from 6 yards went wide.
In the 87th minute, Ibrahim Sani Haliru forced another fine save from Lawani, who dived low to stop his low drive from the edge of the box.
But despite all the pressure, Kano Pillars finished with 68% ball possession, 18 shots with 7 on target, and 11 corner, they could not find the breakthrough.
The Tech Boys managed the final moments of the match exceptional well. They showed game management far beyond their years as a newly promoted side. Their midfield trio of Tochukwu Michael, Valentine Ugwu and David Adeyemi kept fouling intelligently to break up play, taking the sting out of the game, and wasting time cleverly.
When the referee blew the final whistle after 5 minutes of extra time, the Sporting Lagos bench erupted, their prayers celebrated the point as if it were a victory, and in many ways, it was. The home fans, meanwhile, booed their own team off the pitch, frustrated by three games without a win.
WHAT THE RESULT MEANS
For Kano Pillars, the draw means they have now drawn three consecutive matches. They have 12 points from 7 games and have dropped to 7th on the table, already 5 points behind early leaders Remo Stars. More worrying than the point dropped is the lack of cutting edge. Scoring only one goal in three home games is a concern for a team with Ahmed Musa and Rabiu Ali.
Ogunmodede will need to find a solution quickly. His team creates chances but lacks ruthlessness. The pressure will be on when Kano Pillars make the difficult trip to Ibadan in midweek to face Shooting Stars in a rearranged Matchday 4 fixture. Shooting Stars, coached by Gbenga Ogunbote, are unbeaten at home this season, so that will be an even tougher test.
For Sporting Lagos, the result is huge. They nkw have 10 points from 7 games and sit 9th, comfortably in mid table. More impressively they have earned their seventh point in four away matches with a record of 2 win, I draw, 1 loss away from home. No other team in the league has more away points then them this season. If they can maintain this away from and improve their home from at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, they could be dark horses for a top six finish.
LOOKING AHEAD
Kano Pillars will make the trip to Ibadan in midweek to face Shooting Stars in a rearranged fixture that was postponed due to Shooting Stars continental engagement. It is a must win game for Pillars to get their season back on track.
Meanwhile, Sporting Lagos will return to Lagos as heroes and will play hosts to Bendel Insurance on Matchday 8 at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Onikan. Bendel Insurance are another tough side, but with the confidence from Kano and with Lawani now in inspire from, Buter Tech Boys will fancy their chances.
0 Comments