Kano Pillars’ struggles in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) continued on Saturday as they suffered a 2-0 home defeat to Niger Tornadoes in Muhammad Babaganaru’s first game in charge.
The match, played at the Muhammadu Dikko Stadium in Katsina, saw Tornadoes secure all three points through second-half goals from Abdulrasheed Dabai and Terdoo Shimagande.
The loss deepens Pillars’ woes and puts more pressure on the team, who are currently battling at the lower end of the NPFL table. It was also a disappointing start for newly appointed coach Babaganaru, who took over from Evans Ogenyi after his dismissal last week.
Despite the return of Ahmed Musa, who started on the bench, the Sai Masu Gida were unable to convert their chances. The visitors looked more composed and punished Pillars’ defensive lapses, with Dabai breaking the deadlock shortly after the restart before Shimagande sealed the victory late on.
Muhammad Babaganaru, a veteran tactician who previously managed Pillars, had led his first training session with the team on Thursday and was optimistic ahead of the encounter. “Focused and ready,” the club wrote on X (formerly Twitter) before the game, showing confidence in the new technical team.
However, the result leaves 20th placed Pillars with much to fix as they continue to play their home games in Katsina following NPFL sanctions over crowd trouble in an earlier fixture.
The defeat also highlights the good form of Niger Tornadoes, who have now recorded back-to-back wins and moved further up the league standings.