Musa, Abdullahi Absence Cost Pillars Defeat —Abdallah
Usman Abdallah, Kano Pillars’ Technical Adviser, believes that the absence of former Super Eagles captain Ahmed Musa, ex-Nigeria midfielder Shehu Abdullahi, and the team’s vice-captain Fahad Usman were the major reasons the Sai Masu Gida lost 2-1 to Enyimba in Sunday’s NPFL matchday 34 clash in Aba, Completesports.com reports.
Joseph Atule put Enyimba ahead five minutes past the half-hour mark. Brown Ideye doubled the People’s Elephant’s advantage in the second half before Kano Pillars halved the deficit late on, after Enyimba’s goalkeeper spilled Rabiu Ali’s penalty kick, allowing Naibi Akpesiri to stab home as the defenders watched helplessly.
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Coach Abdallah, a former Enyimba gaffer, expressed disappointment, saying he had hoped his return to the familiar Aba ground would have been eventful and rewarding.
He cited reasons his team fell short of expectations in the crucial game, admitting that their hopes of securing a spot in the 2025/2026 CAF Interclub competitions may now be out of their hands.
“I think the comportment of my team depends on my absence in the past seven weeks, when I was under suspension. And when I came back, I think a lot had happened in the team,” Abdallah began.
“There’s a lack of concentration in the team. There are attitude issues among some of the boys, which made it very difficult to shape up the team within these five weeks.
“Today, in this match, I think it’s a game we ought to have got something from here in Aba. But as has been the case since the beginning of the season, almost 80% of the goals we’ve conceded are from set-pieces. I’ve been working on this, but with the constant changes to the team, it’s difficult to maintain rhythm.
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“Ahmed Musa and Shehu Abdullahi, at the dying minute, could not get a flight for this match. Fahad Usman, our vice-captain, was discovered to be suspended for one game, having received five yellow cards.
“Three regular players who had trained with us throughout the week were ruled out of the team, and I think that affected us.”
Kano Pillars had been optimistic about a top-three finish and a possible CAF Interclub ticket.
However, after Sunday’s 2-1 defeat in Aba, Coach Abdallah admitted that their fate is no longer in their hands.
“I was thinking we were going to get something from here because, after coming back to Aba, having coached Enyimba here previously, I thought getting a result would boost our continental hopes. But losing the match today, I think our continental dream is now very difficult.”
By Sab Osuji
