Kano Pillars ended their seven-game winless streak in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) on Monday with a hard-fought 2–1 win over Ikorodu City at the Muhammad Dikko Stadium, Bold Sports reports.
Bottom of the table heading into the clash, the Sai Masu Gida started with clear urgency and were rewarded almost immediately. Veteran midfielder Rabiu Ali opened the scoring in the third minute, nodding home a well-delivered cross from Abdullahi Ali to give the hosts an early advantage.
Pillars doubled their lead in the 25th minute through Suleiman Idris’ goal from a long-range freekick. But Ikorodu City fought back, pulling one goal back on the stroke of halftime when Joseph Arumala headed in Folarin Temitope’s corner.
The visitors made a double substitution at the break, introducing Uche Onyemaechi and Tosin Oyedokun, while Alfred Odinaka was later withdrawn due to injury and replaced by Emmanuel Matthias. Despite the tweaks, the Oga Boys struggled to break down Pillars’ compact structure in the second half.
More Read
Kano Pillars held firm to seal only their third win of the season, taking their tally to nine points from 14 matches. They remain bottom of the standings but have edged closer to the teams ahead of them.
For Ikorodu City, the defeat ended their eight-game unbeaten run and denied them the opportunity to climb to the top of the table. They stay second with 24 points from 14 matches, three points behind leaders Nasarawa United.
Both teams return to action on Sunday, 30 November. Ikorodu City will aim for an immediate response when they host Abia Warriors, while Kano Pillars face a stern test away to Rivers United as they chase back-to-back victories.
© Bold Sports Media. All rights reserved. If sharing, kindly credit Bold Sports as the source and include a link to the original post. Unauthorised use is prohibited.
