It is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the similarities between the approach of the new management of Kano Pillars Football Club and that of their city rivals, Barau Football Club.
Sadly, both clubs appear to be walking the same dangerous path at a time when their opponents elsewhere are putting the finishing touches to their preparations for the 2026/27 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season.
Like every other football enthusiast and Kano Pillars supporter, I expected the new management to demonstrate bold decision-making, clear ambition, and a well-defined roadmap for the club’s future.
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Unfortunately, little evidence of those qualities is visible today. Rather than making a strong statement in the transfer market by recruiting some of the league’s finest talents, the management appears to be settling for players who cannot readily be described among the NPFL’s top performers.
If this approach continues, it will be difficult to convince supporters that the club is genuinely building a squad capable of competing for major honours.
With the new season fast approaching, supporters had hoped to see concrete evidence of the club’s determination to compete at the highest level through the recruitment of proven, high-quality players capable of strengthening key areas of the squad.
Instead, only a handful of relatively modest signings have been made, leaving many fans and stakeholders questioning whether the club is truly prepared for the challenges ahead.
Across the country, several clubs have intensified their recruitment drives, retained key players, and unveiled quality signings to address weaknesses identified last season.
Sadly, however, the atmosphere in Kano has remained unusually quiet. So far, no serious or top-class players from the leading NPFL clubs have been signed in preparation for the upcoming season.
Supporters had every reason to believe that the appointment of a new board and management would usher in a new era driven by professionalism, strategic planning, and a determination to restore Kano Pillars to its rightful place among Nigeria’s football elite.
Unfortunately, there has been little to suggest that such a transformation is underway. Instead of making bold moves capable of exciting supporters and strengthening the squad, the management has yet to demonstrate the level of ambition expected of a club with Kano Pillars’ rich history and winning tradition.
Admittedly, the club has appointed a new head coach. While I welcome his appointment and wish him every success, I am not yet convinced that he represents the best available option for a club of Kano Pillars’ stature and ambition.
Some will rightly point to his achievement of leading Remo Stars to their historic NPFL title. That success deserves recognition.
However, football managers are judged across multiple competitions. Under his leadership, Remo Stars failed to make a significant impact in the CAF Champions League, and following a disappointing campaign the following season, he was replaced.
Those circumstances inevitably raise legitimate questions about whether he is the right man to restore Kano Pillars to domestic dominance and continental relevance.
Kano Pillars should aspire not merely to appoint a competent coach but one with a sustained record of success both in the NPFL and on the continental stage.
Likewise, the club’s recruitment policy should reflect the same level of ambition and not what we are seeing presently.
More worrying is the apparent lack of urgency in the transfer market. Modern football rewards clubs that recruit intelligently, prepare early, and attract players capable of making an immediate impact.
Yet Kano Pillars have not publicly demonstrated any serious intention to bring in proven, high-quality players capable of significantly improving the squad.
I also have reservations about aspects of the new coach’s early preparations, particularly the decision to move players from one commercial gym to another for training sessions.
While physical conditioning is essential, it should complement and not replace an intensive on-field tactical drills, technical exercises, match simulations, and team-building activities.
If there are genuine reasons for this approach, such as inadequate facilities or ongoing renovations, then the management should communicate them openly to supporters.
The management must understand that, unlike Barau FC, Kano Pillars is a public institution owned by the people.
As such, its operations should be guided by transparency and accountability. Supporters and other stakeholders have a legitimate right to be informed about the club’s major decisions, including its budget, recruitment plans, and overall strategy for the new season.
Silence and secrecy only fuel speculation and erode public confidence in the management.
Otherwise, the current approach creates the impression that the club lacks a comprehensive, professionally coordinated pre-season programme worthy of Kano Pillars’ status.
The same way I drew the attention of Barau FC’s management last week to what I described as its lackadaisical approach to player recruitment, I now call on the management of Kano Pillars to change course before it is too late. The club must not follow the same path.
There is still time, though not much to identify and recruit players with the quality, experience, and character needed to strengthen the squad.
The management must remember that Kano Pillars is not just another football club. It is one of Nigeria’s most successful and widely supported clubs, with a proud history, passionate supporters, and a tradition of competing for honours. Those standards demand a far more ambitious recruitment strategy than what has been witnessed so far.
The excuse that the club has been unable to strengthen the squad because of inadequate government funding simply does not hold water.
To date, the management has not made public its budget or financial projections for the new season, making it impossible for supporters and stakeholders to properly assess the club’s financial position.
Furthermore, government funds are not released automatically or on demand. Public institutions are expected to prepare and submit detailed budgets and work plans before approvals and disbursements can be considered.
If these procedures have not been completed, it would be unfair to place all the blame on the government.
Rather than offering excuses, the management should embrace transparency by communicating its financial plans, recruitment strategy, and overall vision for the season.
Such openness would reassure supporters that the club has a clear roadmap and is taking the necessary steps to build a competitive team.
The management must seize this opportunity to reassure supporters that it is genuinely committed to building a squad capable of challenging for the NPFL title and making a meaningful impact in domestic and continental competitions.
Now is the time to change gear, act decisively, and demonstrate that Kano Pillars intend to return to the summit of Nigerian football.
The NPFL becomes more competitive with each passing season. Clubs that fail to strengthen adequately before the campaign begins often spend the rest of the season trying to recover from avoidable mistakes.
Successful clubs recruit early, prepare thoroughly, and give their coaches sufficient time to integrate and blend new players before competitive football begins.
No supporter expects Kano Pillars to spend recklessly or beyond its financial capacity. However, supporters deserve reassurance that a carefully planned recruitment strategy exists.
The management should understand that silence creates uncertainty, and uncertainty breeds anxiety among supporters whose loyalty has sustained the club through both successful and difficult periods.
The transfer window remains open, and the management still has an opportunity to change the narrative.
But time is running out. Every day that passes without meaningful progress reduces the team’s preparation time and increases the pressure once the season begins.
Kano Pillars must avoid repeating the mistakes that have hindered many Nigerian clubs in recent years.
A club of its stature should never enter a new season hoping that last season’s squad alone will somehow produce different results.
Football rewards preparation, vision, strategic recruitment, and decisive leadership and not complacency.
The message from supporters and stakeholders is simple: build a team capable of competing for honours, communicate your plans openly, and demonstrate through actions, not words, to show that Kano Pillars is determined to reclaim its place among the giants of Nigerian football.
Anything less would fall far short of the standards expected of a club with Kano Pillars’ rich history, enviable achievements, and passionate supporters.
