Kano Pillars General Manager, Ahmed Musa, has issued a heartfelt apology following the violent scenes that marred his club’s Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) home game against Shooting Stars Sports Club on Sunday evening.
In a lengthy statement shared on his social media pages, the Super Eagles captain described the incident as “unfortunate, painful, and disgraceful,” admitting that it was “heartbreaking, shameful, and completely unacceptable.”
“I, Ahmed Musa, the General Manager of Kano Pillars Football Club, extend my deepest and most sincere apologies for the unfortunate, painful, and disgraceful incident that occurred during our game against Shooting Stars Sports Club on Sunday evening,” he wrote.
Musa said the violent scenes did not represent the true values and proud history of Kano Pillars, stressing that the club has always stood for “community, passion, and respect.”
“As a club with deep roots and loyal supporters, we are expected to set an example of fairness and honour on and off the pitch. Sadly, today, we fell far short of that standard,” he admitted.
The former Leicester City and Al Nassr forward apologised to Shooting Stars’ players, coaches, and supporters, as well as to the match referees, NPFL board, GTI partners, and all football fans who were left angered and disappointed by the incident.
“I tender an unreserved apology to the players, coaches, officials, and supporters of Shooting Stars Sports Club, to the match referees and league officials who were caught in this terrible situation, to the Nigeria Premier Football League board and its partners at GTI, to the league organisers, and to every football fan across Nigeria and beyond who watched these scenes with anger, shock, and disappointment,” he stated.
Musa condemned violence in all forms, describing it as unacceptable and contrary to the spirit of football.
“Violence has no place in football. It is unacceptable, unjustifiable, and goes against everything this beautiful sport stands for. Football is meant to unite, to inspire, to bring joy. When it turns into scenes of chaos and harm, we must not pretend it away, we must confront it head-on,” he added.
He also assured that Kano Pillars would cooperate fully with the authorities to identify and punish those responsible, while promising strong internal action to prevent a recurrence.
“We understand that apologies alone are not enough. Words must be followed by action. We would take a huge step internally to ensure that something like this never happens again,” he affirmed.
Speaking directly to the club’s supporters, Musa urged them to channel their passion positively and uphold the club’s proud legacy.
“To our loyal fans, I want to speak directly to you. Kano Pillars is a proud club with a rich legacy, and you are the heartbeat of this club. But true support is shown not through violence, but through respect, passion, and discipline,” he said.
“This must be a turning point for us. We must remind the world that our love for this club can be powerful without being destructive, that our passion can lift its image, not stain it.”
Musa concluded by taking full responsibility on behalf of the club and promised to work tirelessly to restore respect and trust in Kano Pillars and Nigerian football at large.
“Once again, on behalf of Kano Pillars Football Club, I offer my most heartfelt and unreserved apology to everyone affected. To the NPFL, to Shooting Stars, to the referees, to the fans of Nigerian football, and to anyone who believes in the spirit of the game, we are sorry. I am sorry,” Musa said.
“We take full responsibility and will do everything necessary to restore trust, respect, and the true spirit of football in Kano and across Nigeria.”
The incident occurred after Shooting Stars scored a late equaliser in a 1–1 draw at the Sani Abacha Stadium, prompting some Kano Pillars supporters to invade the pitch and chase match officials and players — an act widely condemned across the Nigerian football community.