The famous Sani Abacha Stadium Kano came alive once again on Sunday, November 17, when the Kano Pillars football club, fondly called ‘Sai Masu Gida’ returned to their newly renovated home ground for the remaining matches of the ongoing Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season. Kano Pillars homecoming was the week 12 fixture against hitherto struggling Heartland, a contest that eventually ended in a 2-2 draw to the disappointment of the enthusiastic fans. However, Pillars’ return to their fortress was widely celebrated by the teeming fans who had eagerly expected that moment since the start of the current season.
Pillars’ home away from home record
When the state government decided to change the playing surface of the Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano Pillars adopted the Muhammadu Dikko Stadium in Katsina as their temporary home ground. Out of five matches played there, the ‘Masu Gida’ boys recorded three victories, one draw and a defeat. They opened the season at home with a 3-0 drubbing of newcomers Ikorodu City. Their second home match ended in a disaster as they were beaten 2-0 by league leaders Remo Stars. Pillars then secured a 2-0 home win against Sunshine Stars and shared the spoils in their next home match in a 1-1 draw with Kwara United. However, the ‘Masu gida’ boys picked up a hard fought 2-1 win against Plateau United as they prepared to return to their traditional home ground.
So, in five matches that they played at their adopted venue, Pillars scored eight goals and conceded four in the process. The results definitely did not reflect the strength of Pillars, who usually thrive when playing at home. However, the Kano Pillars fans club chairman, Rabiu Abdullahi, said even as there is no place like home, football fans in Katsina deserve commendation for their concerted efforts to make Pillars feel at home away from home.
“I can tell you that during our matches at the Muhammadu Dikko Stars, Katsina fans usually sang and drummed for us in the first half, while the actual supporters club of Kano Pillars only took over the drumming and singing in the second half. So, when our stadium renovation was completed, we wrote a thank-you letter to Katsina United fans for how well they treated us,” he said.
Sani Abacha Stadium renovation hurdles and delays
The renovation of the stadium initially slated for completion before the kickoff of the 2024/2025 NPFL season on August 31 faced delays due to the nationwide protest against bad governance that disrupted work from August 1-10.
Weekend Trust gathered that the project was planned in three comprehensive phases. Phase one is the upgrading of the pitch and perimeter fence. Phase two is the overhauling of the dressing rooms, press gallery, and minor repairs, such as fixing air conditioners, installing new water tanks, repairing boreholes and water pumps, and restoring bathrooms while phase three is renovation of offices, repair of damaged seats (including players’ and spectators’), and fixing of the scoreboard, doors, and exits around the stadium.
Despite the setbacks, the first phase was successfully completed, paving the way for Pillars’ triumphant homecoming in Week 12 against Heartland of Owerri. Although the joy of the fans was tainted by the 2-2 draw in Pillars first home match of the season, the ‘Masu gida’ fans took solace in the fact that they won’t be travelling again to watch their darling team play home matches away from home.
Pillars’ fans’ huge expectations
Expectedly, the return to the Sani Abacha Stadium was met with jubilation by the ‘Sai Masu Gida’ faithful. This was evident from the capacity crowd that turned up to support Pillars against the ‘Nazi millionaires.’ In fact, nearly 30,000 fans squeezed into the 18,000 capacity stadium to watch the match that lived up to expectations, despite Pillars’ failure to secure the maximum points.
Ahmad Suleiman, a long-time supporter, expressed his excitement, highlighting the impact of new signings Ahmed Musa and Shehu Abdullahi. “With these legends in the squad, stadium attendance was always expected to skyrocket. You saw it for yourself. Everyone was eager for Pillars to come back home. I assure you, many came from far and wide just to watch Ahmed and Shehu play,” Suleiman brimmed with joy.
No doubt, the Heartland fixture came with emotional strain for Kano fans as it stirred painful memories of the 5-0 aggregate defeat in the 2009 CAF Champions League semifinals.
“We are very happy that the government was able to renovate the stadium for Pillars to return home. I don’t want a repeat of what happened before Pillars suffered their last relegation. I am happy that Pillars are back home,” said Ahmad Babs.
Apart from the result on the pitch, a staunch supporter of Pillars, Abdullahi Karaye, expressed the need for the club to see the impressive match attendance as an economic asset that must be maximised for enhanced revenue. He asserted that if diligently handled, money from gate takings alone would be enough to address the financial needs of the club.
Karaye said: “Preventing fraud in ticketing is crucial, as Kano Pillars is a club that does not even need to bother about government funding. The government might only take care of salaries if they can manage the revenue that accrues from gate-takings properly. The management committee can partner with a reputable financial company to handle ticketing for the club. I don’t think any company will turn down such an offer from a brand like Kano Pillars.”
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A peaceful atmosphere despite dramatic draw
Despite the unsatisfactory result, the atmosphere remained electric, yet peaceful, a testament to the new-found discipline of Pillars’ fans. In his reaction, the fans club chairman, Abdullahi commended the supporters for their show of maturity and passion. “A lot of people talk about acts of hooliganism attributed to fans all the time. I would like to clarify that the members of the fans club are registered, while other supporters who might not be enlightened are usually responsible for acts of violence.
“Through radio jingles and social media, we spent five days prior to our return sensitising those who might come to support the team. Despite the enormous crowd at the stadium, nothing bad happened. We saw players of Heartland move freely and were applauded despite the ‘pain’ that they caused the fans. What brought about this must be the enlightenment and sensitisation with the help of the media,” he said.
Katsina United visit to test Pillars fans’ repentance
With Sani Abacha Stadium now partially revitalised and the second phase of renovation in the pipeline, hopes are high that Pillars will regain their dominant status in the NPFL. However, this will be achieved if the fans would maintain the exemplary conduct they exhibited during the match against Heartland. The fans’ show of sportsmanship will be tested when Pillars face off with northern rivals Katsina United in week 16 on December 8 at home. Pillars would have hosted Enyimba on Wednesday but the week 14 fixture was postponed due to the continental engagement of the former African champions.
However, they would face title contenders, Rivers United, in their week 15 match this weekend in Port-Harcourt and return home to battle perennial rivals, Katsina United. Considering the unfortunate incidents that characterised previous contests between the two northern giants, all eyes would be on the supporters of both clubs to see how they would conduct themselves.
Despite the fears being entertained in some quarters, Abdullahi insisted that any misunderstanding that existed between the two clubs is now a thing of the past. He said: “Considering the way we set up a cordial relationship while playing our home matches in Katsina, God willing, nothing will happen. We met, looked into past problems, and tried to enhance our relationship. That’s why we adopted Katsina as our home ground,” he stated.
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