2024/2025 NPFL Match Day 12: Rabiu, Musa, rescue Pillars from homecoming defeat

Posted : 18 November 2024

Legendary Rabiu Ali and Ahmed Musa were on target as Kano Pillars FC played out a thrilling 2-2 draw against Heartland FC at the newly refurbished Sani Abacha Stadium, Kofar Mata, in the Match Day 12 fixture of the 2024/25 Nigeria Premier Football League season on Sunday.

This marked the first time the four-time Nigerian champions played in front of their home supporters this season, following the completion of renovation work at the stadium by the Kano State Government.

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However, the fans were stunned when Heartland FC broke the deadlock in the 52nd minute with their first attempt on target, despite Sai Masu Gida dominating possession in the first half, which ended goalless due to missed opportunities.

Rabiu Ali, the team's legendary captain, leveled the scores for the hosts in the 57th minute with a trademark free-kick from 23 yards, marking his 7th goal of the season and his 126th league goal in total.

However, the joy was short-lived as Heartland's Suraju Lawal capitalized on a defensive error to score his second goal of the match in the 59th minute.

The Sani Abacha Stadium erupted in joy in the 75th minute when Ahmed Musa, the Super Eagles captain, headed home a brilliant cross from Zulkifilu Muhammed to restore parity.

It was Musa's 5th goal of the season, further underscoring his invaluable contribution both on and off the pitch for Sai Masu Gida.

Despite late pressure from the home side to secure all three points, the game ended in a 2-2 stalemate.

Speaking after the game, Kano Pillars Technical Adviser Usman Sheriff Abdallah commended Heartland for their resilience and congratulated their coach, Emmanuel Amunike, for securing a valuable point in Kano.

The former Super Eagles assistant coach expressed disappointment at the dropped points but remained optimistic about recovering them in the next game against Lobi Stars in Makurdi.

"We are a team that enjoys playing both home and away. With the 7 points we've already picked on our away trips, I’m confident we can recover the points dropped today when we face Lobi Stars," Abdallah stated.

The coach also addressed concerns about Zulkifilu Muhammed’s substitution, revealing that the forward had played through pain due to a persistent injury.

"Zulkifilu forced himself to play this match despite being in pain. He even wore canvas shoes instead of boots to reduce the discomfort.

"We had to take him off to avoid aggravating the injury further. We will assess his fitness ahead of the game against Lobi Stars," Abdallah explained.

With this result, Sai Masu Gida have dropped to 6th on the league table with 18 points from 12 matches, 5 points behind league leaders Remo Stars.

Next weekend, Kano Pillars will travel to North Central Nigeria to face Lobi Stars at the Lafia City Stadium, aiming to return to winning ways and climb up the league standings.

2024/2025 NPFL Match Day 12: Rabiu, Musa, rescue Pillars from homecoming defeat

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