Kano Pillars’ Revival Hinges On Stable Management, Competence – Ahlan

Kano State FA chairman, Alhaji Sharif Rabiu Inuwa Ahlan, says frequent management shake-ups and appointment of football administrators without relevant experience are undermining former champions of Nigeria Premier Football League, Kano Pillars, but insists the club can recover.

Ahlan said the club’s inability to maintain administrative continuity had repeatedly undermined its progress, forcing successive management teams to start rebuilding whenever the government appointed new officials.

He also criticised the practice of appointing politicians without the requisite knowledge or experience in football administration to manage the club, arguing that such decisions had contributed significantly to the decline of one of Nigeria’s most successful football teams.

Kano Pillars, four-time champions of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), have struggled to maintain the consistency that once made them a dominant force in Nigerian football.

The club won the league title in the 2007/08, 2012, 2013 and 2014 seasons and reached the semi-finals of the CAF Champions League in 2009, establishing themselves as one of the country’s leading football institutions.

However, their recent performances have fallen short of those standards, with the Sai Masu Gida narrowly escaping relegation on the final day of the 2025/26 NPFL season.

Although Pillars have made a better start to the current campaign, collecting 16 points from their opening 10 matches to sit fifth on the league table, Ahlan believes the club must address its underlying administrative problems to restore its former status.

Speaking to LEADERSHIP Sports exclusively on the challenges confronting the former champions, the Kano FA chairman identified the lack of continuity in the club’s management as a major obstacle to sustainable development.
“The challenge with Kano Pillars is frequent change of management. There is no continuity in their management,” Ahlan said.

“Whenever the government makes changes to the club’s management, the new management will go back to zero ground and start building afresh.”

He explained that the repeated disruption of the club’s administrative structure prevented successive management teams from consolidating on the achievements of their predecessors, thereby making long-term planning difficult.

According to him, football clubs require stable leadership, clear development strategies and sufficient time for administrators to implement their programmes if they are to achieve consistent results.

For Kano Pillars, however, changes in management have often meant the abandonment or disruption of existing plans, leaving new officials to begin the process of rebuilding the club.

The situation, Ahlan argued, has contributed to the club’s inability to sustain the level of performance that brought them domestic titles and continental recognition.

Beyond the frequent changes in leadership, Ahlan identified political patronage as another major problem affecting the club’s administration.

He argued that appointments to key positions at Kano Pillars were sometimes influenced more by political considerations than by the candidates’ knowledge of football management.

According to the FA chairman, some individuals appointed to manage the club have little or no involvement in football administration or sporting activities, leaving them without the necessary experience to understand the demands of running a professional football team.

“Secondly, most of the people who apply for the job are politicians who know nothing about football management. They are not part of the football circle, neither have they engaged in any sporting activities,” he said.

“But because they are politicians, those in government will give them the job for political patronage. So they don’t know where to start.”

Ahlan maintained that appointing individuals without the appropriate professional background could delay decision-making and affect the implementation of policies needed to improve the club’s fortunes.

He said some aspiring administrators sought positions such as general manager or chairman without demonstrating the experience required to oversee a professional football club.

“They just ask the government to appoint them as GM, as chairman and so on. So before they catch up, the team will start suffering,” he added.

His comments highlight a broader governance challenge confronting government-backed football clubs in Nigeria, where changes in political leadership can also bring changes in club administration.

Such transitions can affect recruitment, financial planning, technical direction and the implementation of long-term development programmes.

For a club with the history and expectations of Kano Pillars, administrative instability can also make it difficult to maintain a consistent playing philosophy, retain talented players and build a squad capable of challenging for major honours.

The club’s recent struggle to avoid relegation, despite its illustrious history, illustrates the gap between its past achievements and the demands of sustaining success in the modern NPFL.

Recovery in progress

Despite his criticism of the club’s management structure, Ahlan expressed optimism that Kano Pillars were gradually recovering from their recent difficulties.

The former champions’ fifth-place position after 10 matches in the 2026/27 campaign represents an improvement on the relegation battle they endured last season.

However, maintaining that progress will require consistency in performance and administration, particularly as the club seeks to re-establish itself among the leading contenders in Nigerian football.

Ahlan said he believed the club was beginning to regain its footing and would eventually return to the level of performance expected by its supporters.

“But now, they are gradually coming back on track, and with time, we will start seeing the real and improved Kano Pillars we want to see in the NPFL,” he said.

His optimism comes amid expectations that the club can draw on its rich history, established fan base and previous successes to rebuild a competitive team.

Nevertheless, the central challenge remains whether the club can establish an administrative structure capable of surviving changes in government and maintaining a clear direction beyond individual appointments.

Kano Pillars’ four league titles and their memorable run to the 2009 CAF Champions League semi-finals underline the potential that once made them one of Nigeria’s most formidable sides.

But restoring that status will require more than an encouraging start to the current season. It will demand sustained investment, competent football administration, effective technical planning and a commitment to continuity.

Ahlan’s assessment suggests that the club’s recovery will depend not only on the quality of players recruited or the results achieved on the pitch, but also on the decisions taken in the boardroom.

For a club that has experienced both domestic dominance and the threat of relegation, the task is to turn its recent improvement into sustained progress.