The fall and rise of Kano Pillars, Katsina United

At the end of the 2022 Nigeria Professional Football League, Kano Pillars and their neighbours Katsina United were relegated from the Nigerian top flight to the lower division. For the former champions Kano Pillars, a club formed in 1990, it was their first relegation in 22 years,

Pillars shocking relegation was precipitated by the six-point deduction they suffered following the team’s unruly behaviour during a league match against Dakkada and the violence that erupted during their game against Katsina United in Kano.

On their part, Katsina United, a club established in 1994 joined the Nigerian Premier League in 1997, finishing 12th in their first season. However, they were disbanded after their relegation in 2001.

Eight years later, the club bounced back in the NNL.  After a 15-year absence, Katsina United returned to the NPFL in 2016 and remained in the NPFL till they were again relegated to the 2021/22 season. Katsina United’s ‘nomadic life style’ in the course of the season contributed to their last relegation.

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Despite their fall, both Katsina United and Kano Pillars maintained their aura of dominance as they completely dominated opponents in the 2023 NNL abridged season.

Interestingly, Kano Pillars topped Group A3 with 6 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss to earn 19 points while Katsina United in Group A2 had 6 wins, 3 draws and 1 loss to earn 21 points which was enough to qualify them for the NNL Super 8 Championship Playoff.

At the Super 8 in Asaba, Delta State, the two northern giants proved bookmakers right as they overpowered regional rivals DMD Maiduguri and EFCC Abuja to make a quick return to the NPFL.

Indeed, it was a straight fight between the two arch-rivals but the ‘Chanji boys’ earned the bragging right as they pipped their more illustrious neighbours 1-0 in the final match of the Northern Conference.

In the Southern Conference, Sporting FC Lagos and Heartland of Owerri beat Stormers SC of Abeokuta and One Rocket of Abak to the two NPFL tickets that were at stake.

Following the quick return of Pillars and Katsina United to the NPFL, the cities of Kano and Katsina are still in celebratory mood.

Kano agog over Pillars’ promotion

In Kano, fans of Pillars football club and other stakeholders have expressed their excitement over the return of the club to the Nigerian topflight.

Speaking to Trust Sports, a Kano Pillars legend, Gazzali Muhammad, said the club must cut short its celebration to prepare very well for the challenges ahead.

“It’s history that was repeated. The same situation happened in 1999, Pillars went down and the following year it rose up again.

“In this present case, the fans were fully supportive. They left whatever they were doing to support them in Asaba. They cheered the players up and at last, they gained the promotion.

“There is the urgent need for better recruitment and they have a short time to do that because the league is starting soon. They have a very limited time.

“Of course, the technical crew has to do more and the government too should release money to the club in time. This will help them a lot,” said the former Kano Pillars player.

Also speaking, a former Public Relations Officer, Pillars Supporters club, Awwal Assad, expressed his gratitude to the Almighty for the return of the ‘Sai masu Gida’.

“We are most grateful to God Almighty. We are here now at Asaba, Delta State all the way from Kano State because of ‘Sai masu Gida’ who have rewarded our loyalty with a return to the NPFL.

“All thanks to the good people of Kano state for their prayers and well wishes and to the incumbent administration of Abba Kabir Yusuf who give unflinching support to the team,” he said.

On his part, an ardent supporter and the Chairman of ‘A yi Adalci’ troop, Abdulkadir Bello Black Fagge said, “Pillars’ promotion from NNL to the NPFL is of course what we have been praying for. This is a testimony of how great we are.

“The government support in this short time shows that we are going to achieve even more things in football,” he said.

Muntari Ibrahim Adanna, the Supporters’ club acting Secretary while celebrating the promotion of Pillars appealed to the government to give more support.

“We thank God that Kano Pillars have returned to where they rightly belong. They were in a strange place for one year.

“As supporters, our spirits are lifted again and we would do everything possible to support the club to go higher,” he assured.

Another supporter, Salisu Carlos said, “We are most grateful to God, our colleagues from the fans club and well wishers of Kano Pillars for their prayers.”

Katsina United fans on cloud nine

Similarly, football fans in Katsina have continued to celebrate the return of their darling club to the NPFL after one season in the lower division.

First to commend Katsina United was Governor Dikki Umar Radda, who issued a statement by himself to congratulate the team and assured them of his administration’s continued support.

“My hearty felicitations are with Katsina United Football Club for having recorded an impressive season, which culminated in their promotion to Nigeria Premier Football League after defeating Kano Pillars by a goal to nil.

“As a government, we will prioritise sports development and increase investment in youth development in Katsina State.

A House of Representatives member and Chairman of Katsina State Football Association, Hon. Aminu Balele Kurfi, also congratulated the ‘Chaji boys’ for winning one of the promotion tickets.

“I am proud of the team and the honour they have brought to the new administration and the people of Katsina.

“The government also deserves commendation for funding the club despite its limited resources. Katsina United must prepare early for a better outing in the 2024 season,” said the former Chairman of Katsina United.

Mallam Umar Ogunse, a former chairman of the Sport Writers’ Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Katsina state chapter, said when katsina United’s relegation was a painful experience.

“When the team was relegated, we did not hide our feelings at that time and that was why we called on the government to dissolve the management team and God so kind, the then governor Aminu Masari, listened to our cries and decided to bring in a new chairman.

“The new chairman, Surajo Malumfashi, is not only knowledgeable about sports management but also very committed to the development of sports in Katsina. He mobilized the people that could help him salvage the situation and God has helped him to achieve that within a short time,” he said.

The president of Dadin Kowa Football Academy Katsina, Abubakar Sani, popularly called Abu Najad, said “We feel extremely happy that even words cannot adequately describe it.

“This success can be attributed to the governor’s unwavering support. We thank the whole state for their daily prayers and for the support they gave to the team.

“I advise the management to bring in more quality players and a more competent technical crew,” he advised.

When contacted, the Chairman of the club, Mallam Baba Surajo malumfashi, thanked Almighty God for the success.

“The club belongs to everyone in the state and when we went to relegation, it affected all of us. As you know, it is very hard to come out of relegation. Sometimes it takes years to achieve that but we are grateful to God that we are able to come out of it within a year,” he said.

Malumfashi added that the management is not going to be complacent but will continue to do its best to ensure that the team is in the best possible shape for the challenges ahead.

Jide Olusola, Salim Umar Ibrahim (Kano) & Tijanni Ibrahim (Katsina)