My disappointment with Ahmed Musa’s appointment

The fact that many people have rejoiced or  celebrating the appointment of Ahmed Musa’s appointment as the new General Manager of Kano Pillars Football Club does not make it a perfect decision as far as I am concerned. I wish detour from their path of views because I see nothing worthy of such.

I don’t see anything Musa, as General Manager of the team, can do or offer to the team that many others in Kano state cannot. This is because we have the potential to accomplish anything if given the chance and opportunity to operate or service.

Because in order to excel at any given assignment, the atmosphere to excel must first be constructed.

To be clear, I have nothing against Ahmed Musa; in fact, I am a fan of his but have never met him in person, despite the fact that he plays in Kano and owns businesses there.

I’ve never met, seen him in person, or watched him play. I only hear about his excellent performance and goals scored in matches from football fans after each Kano league game or other events. But for sure Ahmed Musa is not the best candidate for Kano Pillars FC General Manager.

Yes, the Sai Masu Gida underperformed last season because of the position it occupied at the last league, but who is to blame?

To majority of us, Kano Pillars’ Football Club failure to secure a continental seat was owing to the government’s inadequate management and funding of its affairs.

I don’t see how a premier league team of the calibre of the Kano Pillars can prosper under the current government’s ways of handling its affairs.

The team has been subjected to the pocket of the Ministry of Youth and Sports because its leaders are constantly in the ministry for anything they desire.

The club supposed to be under governor’s office if at all they want good result from the team and not the office of the commissioner of sports.

I’m sure that’s not how other premier league teams in the country operates and also not how team operated in the past when Kano Pillars was a formidable opponent.

For the past two seasons, the club’s management has been going to the supervisory commissioner’s office for practically all of its operations or demands.

The standard procedure is for the government to properly review its budget, and following approval, the approved amount is deposited into the club’s account for day-to-day operations. However, it is not what we have now.

And unless this unholy style is completely adjusted and best practices implemented, I don’t see how whoever is promoted to the position of head or leader will succeed.

Therefore, my unhappiness with the Kano State Government’s recent nomination of Ahmed Musa as General Manager of Kano Pillars Football Club stems from a variety of factors, which I would like to discuss here.

Even though the government stated in a release signed by Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa that it was the board that proposed the appointment of renowned international footballer Ahmed Musa, OON, MON, as the new General Manager of Kano Pillars FC, I’m curious to know where this type of scenario occurred in the world.

Firstly, the board that proposes that knows better that Ahmed Musa is a Kano Pillars Player and has been registered to play this coming season. And there is nowhere in the world that an individual play dual role in a team that is as a player and also a manager.

I’d like to challenge the board that proposed this to provide one example of this happening in Nigeria, Africa, or anyplace in the world. I doubt they can.

For sure, there is going to be a conflict of interest because: The dual role of a player and General Manager creates a direct conflict of interest. A General Manager can make decisions on player selection, contracts, discipline, bonuses, and technical staff—these would affect the player role directly.

The second is FIFA/NFF Regulations: Both FIFA and NFF Statutes require clear separation of governance and participation roles to maintain professionalism, transparency, and fairness.

So this is untenable anywhere in the globe, unless Musa plans to retire from active football, which I do not believe is a wise move.

Second, if Musa’s appointment is made to alleviate the team’s financial difficulties because he is financially buoyant and stable because he will be willing to release his funds to the club when necessary, that is also incorrect because we have many more people who have done that before and can do it better than him.

I know someone in this state who lent Kano Pillars FC over N70 million during Babangida Little’s tenure, and up to now the government is yet to repay him back.

I also know someone who lent the team more than N1 million three or four seasons ago and is  yet to be paid back. If they did this out of love for the team, why not contact them and hand up the team to them?

These few examples suggest that we have people in the state who are or will be ready to support the team financially as done before and are well experience in the field, even though the government does not redeem their repayment guarantee.

The government must be aware that we have people who are sons of the soil, keen to contribute to the club’s success, and have extensive experience, who I believe are better prospects for the General Manager position than Ahmed Musa.

So we have people in academia, society, the supporters club, the media, and the Kwankwasiyya movement who can accomplish this task to the satisfaction of the state.

As it is now, Ahmed Musa is only experienced on the field but  lacks club managerial expertise, therefore I don’t see how he can lead the team to a prosperous future, let alone win titles.

Third, we are all aware that Kano state has a population second only to Lagos in the country, it is the most populated in the entire northern region, and  the most football-playing state, with half of its residents identifying as soccer fans or enthusiasts.

So I don’t see any reason why the government couldn’t go within the state and select anyone as the General Manager of Kano Pillars FC.

To me, this will only cause our people to lose hope because the government is not acknowledging their achievements.

Besides, the NFF Club Licensing Regulations and NPFL operations manuals demand licensed and full-time administrators for the role of GM—who must not be active players.

Next is NPFL Structure and Expectations: Here the NPFL mandates that clubs must employ competent and experienced management personnel, particularly in the General Manager or CEO role which Musa is not one.

The General Manager reports to the Board/Club Ownership and must oversee the players’ welfare, transfers, salaries, and coordinate technical crew—thus cannot be a subject of these functions.

More importantly: No known club in Nigeria’s top-flight league has officially appointed an active registered player as GM.

And globally, players transitioning into management or executive roles typically retire first, then undergo training or licensing before appointments. Which I am yet to hear Musa’s retirement notice.

And to avoid a Conflict of Interest, there is a provisions in the statutes and regulations that mentioned that:

Nigeria Football Federation (NFF): Nigeria’s football laws contain several key anti-conflict rules: Executive members of Coaches, Referees, and Players’ Associations cannot hold simultaneous office in two bodies (e.g., state or national positions). Officials must resign from overlapping roles immediately.

Under too, clubs must meet Administrative & Personnel and Legal criteria. These implicitly require transparency, independent decision-making, and avoidance of conflicting roles such as appointing executives to comparative roles or bodies under their influence.

FIFA also lays out governance standards that cover conflicts of interest under:

Governance Criteria: Compliance with “ethics and transparency rules” including avoidance of conflicts, nepotism, and undue influence. Board composition must ensure independence, prevent overlapping personal interests, and reject multi-party influence.

The FIFA Ethics Code also defines conflict of interest and mandates its disclosure and management for all officials, which licensing bodies must integrate into club-level governance.

Therefore, to Avoid Dual Role: A player should not be appointed as General Manager of the same club while still actively registered to play in the NPFL 2025/2026 season.

If such appointment is desired, the player must first retire or de-register from the playing role.

Any club can consider preparing the player for a future executive role post-retirement by:

*Assigning the player as captain or team liaison officer.

*Sponsoring the player for sports management certification.

*Including the player in Board meetings as observer or assistant if allowed.

Seek Formal Clarification: For absolute certainty, the club may write to the League Management Company (LMC) or NFF Legal/Regulatory Department for official guidance before making such a move.

Finally, appointing a registered player as General Manager in the same NPFL club violates ethical, operational, and regulatory expectations and is not advisable under the current rules.

Clubs are encouraged to uphold professionalism and avoid any role conflicts that may attract sanctions or disrepute.

Finally, Kano is known for being in the forefront of anything it undertakes, but placing Musa or assigning him this responsibility  is not in the best interests of the state.

(Yakamata mu rinka kishin kanmmu da mutanenmu)