The 2025/26 football season will begin in various states of the country in a few days to come, just as it has in other parts of the world.
The Nigeria Premier Football League, the country’s elite football competition, will follow suit, with twenty clubs from various states across the six geographical zones of the federation competing for honours.
And, luckily or appropriately, only a few states in the federation have two teams in the NPFL, Kano being one of them.
Kano Pillars Football Club, one of the oldest clubs in the north, and the recently promoted Barau Football Club of Kano will play in the NPFL against 18 other teams from various states of the federation.
Regardless of its size and football fan base, Kano State has never in its history produced two Premier League teams simultaneously in one season.
That is why serious-minded football fans or followers will undoubtedly see Kano state with two NPFL teams now in the NPFL as a highly positive development.
Historically, no team in the state besides former Raccah Rovers FC has participated in or played in the nation’s division one or top level league of the country, a situation which has displeased and infuriated the majority of soccer fans and followers in the state.
It was on record that since the departure of Raccah Rovers Football Club from the division one several decades ago neither Golden Stars nor WRECA or any other Kano team have made it to the senior league, a situation which annoyed and frustrated soccer fans in the state.
Fortunately for the state, the opportunity of having one arose in 1990, when the country’s first professional league was formed.
To return to top football, the then-government seized the opportunity and amalgamated the three largest Kano state teams, North Brewery, Works Golden Stars, and Fiat Football Clubs, to establish Kano Pillars Football Club.
Then, Kano Pillars FC struggled with a number of issues in its early years, including a power struggle within its management committee, a lack of experienced players, and a range of other problems that led to it being labelled the future team.
That resulted in the team being relegated to the lower level twice in its existence, but it quickly returned to its previous place, much to the relief of its thronging fans.
However, as time went on, Kano Pillars established themselves as a club to beat in the league, which has resulted in success, including one FA Cup and three league crowns.
But fortunately, we now have an additional team to play in Nigeria’s top class league the NPFL.
Barau FC, the new NPFL entrant, we all know is a new team compared to Pillars. It made history by winning promotion to the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) for the first time.
The club reached this milestone after performing admirably in the NNL Group matches and subsequently in the Super 8 playoffs in distant Delta state.
This elevation is a huge step forward for the team, which has quickly ascended through the ranks from the Nationwide League One (NLO) to the Nigeria National League (NNL) and now the NPFL.
Barau Football Club will be remembered as the first Kano State club to be promoted to the NPFL, having gone from NLO to NNL and now NPFL in a relatively short amount of time.
Its elevation has set up a historic first-ever Kano rivalry in the NPFL, with Barau FC taking on Kano Pillars.
I am glad that the club, which will be playing in the premier division for the first time, is setting lofty goals because the mandate has been given to them to work hard and compete at the Continental level at the end of the season.
And I know Kano Pillars Football Club will be working toward the same aim, which would be a good thing for the state if the two teams competed in the same league and were all successful.
To remain competitive, I anticipate them to maintain leadership by combining their older players with promising young talent, drawing on their expertise and established fan base to set high performance standards.
Barau FC should focus on avoiding relegation in their inaugural NPFL season. I’m glad they’re beefing up their youth team with some excellent and experienced players from other teams, as well as a big-name coach as Technical Advisor to help train their young group.
They should take Brand Building seriously in order to portray themselves as a fresh, exciting club that will attract sponsors.
And with both teams properly prepared for the duties, I expect their fans to rally behind them and cheer them to victory.
They should be civilized by going all out regardless of whatever team they support and propelling them to complete triumph.
Nobody is claiming that there would be no derby between Kano Pillars and newly promoted Barau FC, but it must be done in a civilized and cordial manner so that both teams can continue in their respective positions for many years.
We must all understand that their individual wins or victories in home and away matches are what the entire Kano community will be praying for day and night.
We want a healthy rivalry, the one which each of them will be fighting to win their matches and not the unhealthy one which will see each working for their respective waterloos.
Since Al Hilal Football Club and Al-Merrikh Football Club from Omdurman, Sudan, regularly represent their nation in CAF games, we should all be aware that this kind of situation is not new in African football.
Therefore, I don’t see why it shouldn’t occur here in Kano if it can occur elsewhere in Sudan.
We should consider this as a good opportunity for a number of reasons, the first of which is the possibility to see major teams or challenging matches twice, as each visiting club will be in the state twice, once for Kano Pillars and once for Barau FC.
The second advantage is that some of our players who were unable to secure a berth in Kano Pillars FC now have the opportunity to establish themselves with Barau FC.
Third, if Barau FC decides to develop younger teams, there will be additional opportunities for more Kano football players to be accommodated or engaged.
We should all take advantage of these positive narratives to enable football and footballers to develop in Kano state, since it has numerous advantages.
For Kano fans and supporters, I anticipate unwavering support for the Kano Pillars and Barau Football teams as they celebrate a healthy rivalry without hate.
Fans of both teams must promote fair play, avoid violence and intimidation, and utilize matchdays to highlight Kano’s culture and hospitality.
Similarly, the Kano State Government and the Sports Authorities must play important responsibilities in ensuring that things are done correctly.
We don’t expect sports authority to be biased. They should play a fatherly role to both Pillars and Barau.
The government should start thinking of how to give financial grants or incentives to help both clubs prosper.
The government should ensure that the Sani Abacha Stadium matches top-tier league and CAF requirements.
For Security and Matchday Logistics, the FA and the stadium management must guarantee safe and safety of all and ensure fan-friendly environments.
Given that the two sides are managed and funded by two political adversaries, we should all disregard party politics and work for their success.
Strategic Goal for Both Clubs: The ultimate goal for the two teams should be dual continental representation, with Kano Pillars and Barau FC both qualifying for CAF competitions over the next 3-5 years, transforming Kano into Nigeria’s northern football metropolis.
Therefore, our goal must be to assist both teams in winning all of their home and away games, allowing them to realize their individual dreams of competing in the continental championship.
Another advantage of viewing continental cup competition matches is that by the end of the season, they will all have won and received continental tickets.
Recommendations for the two teams’ success: Both Kano Pillars FC and Barau FC should work hard to achieve positive outcomes in both home and away matches. I understand it is difficult, especially in the Nigerian league, but they should give their best shot.
Kano Pillars should leverage their knowledge to establish competitive benchmarks. Barau FC should use their youth pack team to create surprises throughout the league.
Finally, this historic event necessitates strategic planning, government backing, and community collaboration. If properly managed, the dual NPFL presence has the potential to alter Kano’s football environment, stimulate the local economy, and spark a new era of sporting success.
