21 Nov 2027
Sunday
Process
68 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

15 Nov 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Squad

Ibrahim Inuwa says Kano Pillars went back on their word

“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.

Market

Muttaka Musa hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Kano Pillars can pretend not to have heard.

Squad

Williams Yikat gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Loan watch

Abdullahi Abubakar wants to come home

“I did not go to Wikki Tourists to sit and watch. I want to come back to Kano Pillars and fight for my place.” 1 appearances in 9 matches say the rest.

Squad

Aminu Mohammed knocks on the manager's door

“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Kano Pillars, and both men came out saying it was fine.

Market

The Okechukwu Azubuike talk will not go away

Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Kano Pillars know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.

In brief

Back issues
67 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

8 Nov 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Market

Abdul Musa asks to leave Kano Pillars

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Squad

Mohammad Mukhtar: that is not what I was promised

“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Kano Pillars have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Squad

Olagoke Olajobi signs a new deal

“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Olagoke Olajobi commits to Kano Pillars for another 4 years.

In brief

66 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

1 Nov 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Squad

Aminu Sani says Kano Pillars went back on their word

“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.

Market

Muhammed Usman is on his way

The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Kano Pillars is pretending he will be back in the shirt.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Abuchi Okeke

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

In brief

65 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

25 Oct 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Market

Zaharaddeen Bello asks to leave Kano Pillars

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Squad

Mubarak Lawan gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Squad

Aminu Sani knocks on the manager's door

“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Kano Pillars, and both men came out saying it was fine.

In brief

64 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

18 Oct 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Loan watch

Abdullahi Abubakar wants to come home

“I did not go to Wikki Tourists to sit and watch. I want to come back to Kano Pillars and fight for my place.” 1 appearances in 5 matches say the rest.

Squad

Ibrahim Inuwa gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Market

The Okechukwu Azubuike talk will not go away

Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Kano Pillars know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.

In brief

63 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

11 Oct 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Squad

Idowu Aremu says Kano Pillars went back on their word

“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.

Market

Muttaka Musa asks to leave Kano Pillars

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Squad

Mohammed Galadima signs a new deal

“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Mohammed Galadima commits to Kano Pillars for another 3 years.

In brief

62 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

4 Oct 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Market

Abdul Musa hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Kano Pillars can pretend not to have heard.

Squad

Sudais Ali Baba says Kano Pillars went back on their word

“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.

Market

Muhammed Usman is on his way

The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Kano Pillars is pretending he will be back in the shirt.

In brief

61 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

27 Sep 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Squad

Yusuf Maigoro: that is not what I was promised

“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Kano Pillars have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Market

Zaharaddeen Bello asks to leave Kano Pillars

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Williams Yikat

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

In brief

60 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

20 Sep 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Squad

Ibrahim Inuwa says Kano Pillars went back on their word

“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.

Squad

Abuchi Okeke signs a new deal

“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Abuchi Okeke commits to Kano Pillars for another 3 years.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Abuchi Okeke

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

In brief

59 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

13 Sep 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Market

Muttaka Musa asks to leave Kano Pillars

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Match

Kano Pillars find a way past Abia Warriors

Abia Warriors made Kano Pillars work for it, but the scoreboard read 2-1 at the end and the table does not ask how.

Squad

Mubarak Lawan signs a new deal

“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Mubarak Lawan commits to Kano Pillars for another 4 years.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Yusuf Maigoro

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Squad

Abdul Musa asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

Squad

Naphtali Mokoena makes his debut at 21

At 21 years old, Naphtali Mokoena became the latest name off the academy production line to be handed a senior shirt.

Market

Mujahid Ibrahim leaves for nothing

Contract settled, hands shaken, no fee changing hands. Mujahid Ibrahim leaves Kano Pillars the quiet way, and the wage bill breathes a little easier.

Market

The window shut and Sudais Ali Baba is still in the building

Kano Pillars spent a month trying to move him and nobody rang back. He trains with a squad that has told him where he stands, and both sides start counting down to the next one.

Market

Charles Ezeh placed on the list

Kano Pillars have made Charles Ezeh available for transfer. A career at this club is over in all but paperwork.

In brief

58 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

6 Sep 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Market

Abdul Musa hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Kano Pillars can pretend not to have heard.

Match

7 matches without a win for Kano Pillars

The run now stands at 7, and the questions being asked around Kano Pillars are no longer polite ones.

Squad

Mohammad Mukhtar says Kano Pillars went back on their word

“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.

Market

Muhammed Usman is on his way

The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Kano Pillars is pretending he will be back in the shirt.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Aminu Mohammed

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Market

Wikki Tourists expected to open talks for Abdullahi Abubakar

Both sides expect a conversation in the coming days. Kano Pillars will name a price, and everything after that is arithmetic.

In brief

57 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

30 Aug 2027
From our football correspondent Crisis

Match

6 matches without a win for Kano Pillars

The run now stands at 6, and the questions being asked around Kano Pillars are no longer polite ones.

Market

Zaharaddeen Bello asks to leave Kano Pillars

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Market

Mujahid Ibrahim has one foot out of the door

Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Kano Pillars they have already started talking about him in the past tense.

Market

Abdullahi Abubakar attracts admirers

The name of Abdullahi Abubakar has come up in conversations Kano Pillars were not part of. Nothing formal, nothing signed — but nothing about it accidental either.

Match

Remo Stars take the points off Kano Pillars

Beaten 0-2, and beaten fairly. The manager kept his words short afterwards, which was probably wise.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Naphtali Mokoena

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

In brief

56 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

23 Aug 2027
From our football correspondent Crisis

Squad

Chiedozie Okorie: that is not what I was promised

“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Kano Pillars have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Match

5 matches without a win for Kano Pillars

The run now stands at 5, and the questions being asked around Kano Pillars are no longer polite ones.

Match

A bad afternoon for Kano Pillars against Barau

2-3 to Barau, and no complaints worth printing. The performance asked for nothing more than it got.

Market

Ayuba Mukhtar moves on

Katsina United pay $39.0K, and the deal is done. The number reads well on a balance sheet; whether it reads well on the pitch is next season's question.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Okechukwu Azubuike

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Boardroom

Nobody left the Kano Pillars dressing room in a hurry

The door stayed shut a long time after the final whistle. What was said in there is between them; whether it worked is between them and Saturday.

Market

Warri Wolves expected to open talks for Muhammed Usman

Both sides expect a conversation in the coming days. Kano Pillars will name a price, and everything after that is arithmetic.

Market

The Okechukwu Azubuike talk will not go away

Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Kano Pillars know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.

Market

Kano Pillars put Abdul Musa up for sale

The list is a quiet document with a loud meaning. Abdul Musa may talk to anybody who asks, and everybody at the club understands what that means.

In brief

55 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

16 Aug 2027
From our football correspondent Crisis

Market

Junior Aliyu sold, and an era ends

$1.3M from Sagan Tosu for Junior Aliyu. Money is money, but the dressing room has lost the man it looked to.

Market

Kano Pillars turn down Nasarawa United for Mustapha Umar

The offer was not close and it was refused without much discussion. Whether the second one is refused as quickly is another matter.

Squad

Yusuf Maigoro: that is not what I was promised

“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Kano Pillars have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Market

Muttaka Musa asks to leave Kano Pillars

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Match

4 matches without a win for Kano Pillars

The run now stands at 4, and the questions being asked around Kano Pillars are no longer polite ones.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Temple Emekayi

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

In brief

54 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

9 Aug 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Market

Junior Aliyu asks to leave Kano Pillars

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Squad

Ali Abdullahi: that is not what I was promised

“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Kano Pillars have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Market

Junior Aliyu attracts admirers

The name of Junior Aliyu has come up in conversations Kano Pillars were not part of. Nothing formal, nothing signed — but nothing about it accidental either.

Squad

Williams Yikat gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Squad

Mohammed Galadima stays put

“The easiest signature of my career.” Mohammed Galadima and Kano Pillars agree another 3 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.

Market

Warri Wolves expected to open talks for Abdullahi Abubakar

Both sides expect a conversation in the coming days. Kano Pillars will name a price, and everything after that is arithmetic.

In brief

53 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

2 Aug 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Abdul Musa asks to leave Kano Pillars

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Squad

Sudais Ali Baba: that is not what I was promised

“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Kano Pillars have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Market

Wikki Tourists come back empty-handed

The bid was some way short and Kano Pillars did not need long over it. Nobody in the game reads a first refusal as the end of anything.

Squad

Junior Aliyu is the real thing at 21

A season average of 7.00 at an age when most of his year group are still in the youth team. Kano Pillars know what they have, and so, by now, does everybody else.

Market

Abdullahi Abubakar attracts admirers

The name of Abdullahi Abubakar has come up in conversations Kano Pillars were not part of. Nothing formal, nothing signed — but nothing about it accidental either.

Squad

Abuchi Okeke gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

In brief

52 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

26 Jul 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Zaharaddeen Bello hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Kano Pillars can pretend not to have heard.

Market

Muhammed Usman is on his way

The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Kano Pillars is pretending he will be back in the shirt.

Squad

Abdul Musa knocks on the manager's door

“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Kano Pillars, and both men came out saying it was fine.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Ayuba Mukhtar

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Squad

Abdul Musa suspended

One booking too many, and Abdul Musa sits out. Kano Pillars lose him for the sort of avoidable reason that makes a manager's week longer.

Market

Plateau United are about to pick up the phone

A conversation is coming this week. Kano Pillars will put a number on him, and from there it stops being football and becomes arithmetic.

In brief

51 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

19 Jul 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Abuchi Okeke keeps Kano Pillars in it on his own

Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 6 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.

Market

Yusuf Maigoro hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Kano Pillars can pretend not to have heard.

Market

Mujahid Ibrahim has one foot out of the door

Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Kano Pillars they have already started talking about him in the past tense.

Match

Kano Pillars see off Shooting Stars

Three points for Kano Pillars, 1-0 the final word against Shooting Stars in a contest settled by the finer margins.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Aminu Sani

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Market

Rangers International are about to pick up the phone

A conversation is coming this week. Kano Pillars will put a number on him, and from there it stops being football and becomes arithmetic.

Squad

Abdul Musa asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

Market

Okechukwu Azubuike linked with a move away

The name of Okechukwu Azubuike keeps appearing in other people's back pages. Kano Pillars say nothing, which says plenty.

Squad

Abdul Musa has taken the shirt

At 28 he is in the side on merit and somebody else is watching from the bench. Places at Kano Pillars are won quietly and lost loudly.

In brief

50 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

12 Jul 2027
From our football correspondent Crisis

Market

Sudais Ali Baba asks to leave Kano Pillars

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Squad

Muhammed Usman says Kano Pillars went back on their word

“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.

Market

Rangers International watching Abdullahi Abubakar

The interest is real enough to have reached print. Kano Pillars have said nothing, which in a transfer window is its own kind of answer.

Match

Kano Pillars come up short against Bayelsa United

Bayelsa United left with the points after a 0-2 defeat that will take some explaining on the terraces.

Squad

Temple Emekayi gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Market

Junior Aliyu told to find a new club

“They were honest with me, and I would rather know.” Junior Aliyu has been informed he is not in the manager's thinking at Kano Pillars.

In brief

49 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

5 Jul 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Abdul Musa asks to leave Kano Pillars

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Match

Still nobody has beaten Kano Pillars

The unbeaten run reaches 11. Some of them were wins and some were escapes, but a side that refuses to lose is a side other dressing rooms talk about.

Squad

A one-man rearguard from Abuchi Okeke

There were 6 saves in it, and at least three that had no business being saves at all. The ten outfield players owe him a drink and they know it.

Squad

Habibu Yakubu says Kano Pillars went back on their word

“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.

Market

Abdullahi Abubakar has one foot out of the door

Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Kano Pillars they have already started talking about him in the past tense.

Market

Kano Pillars turn down Kun Khalifat for Muhammed Usman

The offer was not close and it was refused without much discussion. Whether the second one is refused as quickly is another matter.

Squad

Paschal Durugbor stays put

“The easiest signature of my career.” Paschal Durugbor and Kano Pillars agree another 4 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.

Squad

Junior Aliyu is the real thing at 21

A season average of 7.06 at an age when most of his year group are still in the youth team. Kano Pillars know what they have, and so, by now, does everybody else.

Market

Kano Pillars and Temple Emekayi are talking past each other

“There is a gap, and pretending there is not helps nobody.” Neither side has moved, and the calendar is working for exactly one of them.

In brief

48 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

28 Jun 2027
From our football correspondent Upbeat

Squad

Naphtali Mokoena says Kano Pillars went back on their word

“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.

Match

Still nobody has beaten Kano Pillars

The unbeaten run reaches 10. Some of them were wins and some were escapes, but a side that refuses to lose is a side other dressing rooms talk about.

Market

Umar Muhammad has one foot out of the door

Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Kano Pillars they have already started talking about him in the past tense.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Aminu Mohammed

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Match

Kano Pillars get the job done against Katsina United

A 1-0 win over Katsina United, earned rather than given, and the sort of afternoon that sends everyone home talking about next week instead of this one.

Market

Kun Khalifat are about to pick up the phone

A conversation is coming this week. Kano Pillars will put a number on him, and from there it stops being football and becomes arithmetic.

In brief

47 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

21 Jun 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Match

Still nobody has beaten Kano Pillars

The unbeaten run reaches 9. Some of them were wins and some were escapes, but a side that refuses to lose is a side other dressing rooms talk about.

Market

Sulaiman Salisu has one foot out of the door

Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Kano Pillars they have already started talking about him in the past tense.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Williams Yikat

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Market

Kun Khalifat expected to open talks for Muhammed Usman

Both sides expect a conversation in the coming days. Kano Pillars will name a price, and everything after that is arithmetic.

Squad

Aminu Mohammed asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

Match

Kano Pillars draw a blank against Kun Khalifat

The crowd waited for a goal that never came. Kun Khalifat defended in numbers and left with what they came for, and the two sides could be playing still without troubling a scorer.

In brief

46 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

14 Jun 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Abdullahi Musa hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Kano Pillars can pretend not to have heard.

Match

Still nobody has beaten Kano Pillars

The unbeaten run reaches 8. Some of them were wins and some were escapes, but a side that refuses to lose is a side other dressing rooms talk about.

Market

Nafiu Abubakar has one foot out of the door

Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Kano Pillars they have already started talking about him in the past tense.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Abuchi Okeke

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Market

Muhammed Usman attracts admirers

The name of Muhammed Usman has come up in conversations Kano Pillars were not part of. Nothing formal, nothing signed — but nothing about it accidental either.

Squad

Williams Yikat asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

In brief

45 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

7 Jun 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Abdul Musa asks to leave Kano Pillars

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Squad

A one-man rearguard from Abuchi Okeke

There were 8 saves in it, and at least three that had no business being saves at all. The ten outfield players owe him a drink and they know it.

Market

Nasarawa United come back empty-handed

The bid was some way short and Kano Pillars did not need long over it. Nobody in the game reads a first refusal as the end of anything.

Market

Sagir Lawan has one foot out of the door

Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Kano Pillars they have already started talking about him in the past tense.

Match

Still nobody has beaten Kano Pillars

The unbeaten run reaches 7. Some of them were wins and some were escapes, but a side that refuses to lose is a side other dressing rooms talk about.

Squad

Junior Aliyu is the real thing at 21

A season average of 7.02 at an age when most of his year group are still in the youth team. Kano Pillars know what they have, and so, by now, does everybody else.

In brief

44 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

31 May 2027
From our football correspondent Upbeat

Squad

Taiye Murtala: that is not what I was promised

“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Kano Pillars have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Market

Umar Muhammad has one foot out of the door

Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Kano Pillars they have already started talking about him in the past tense.

Match

Still nobody has beaten Kano Pillars

The unbeaten run reaches 6. Some of them were wins and some were escapes, but a side that refuses to lose is a side other dressing rooms talk about.

Squad

Naphtali Mokoena gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Match

Kano Pillars get the job done against Plateau United

A 1-0 win over Plateau United, earned rather than given, and the sort of afternoon that sends everyone home talking about next week instead of this one.

Squad

Abdul Musa knocks on the manager's door

“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Kano Pillars, and both men came out saying it was fine.

In brief

43 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

24 May 2027
From our football correspondent Upbeat

Market

Sulaiman Salisu has one foot out of the door

Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Kano Pillars they have already started talking about him in the past tense.

Match

Kano Pillars find a way past Wikki Tourists

Wikki Tourists made Kano Pillars work for it, but the scoreboard read 1-0 at the end and the table does not ask how.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Junior Aliyu

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

In brief

42 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

17 May 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Olakunle Akala: that is not what I was promised

“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Kano Pillars have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Market

Muhammed Usman is on his way

The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Kano Pillars is pretending he will be back in the shirt.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Tobi Alagbe

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

In brief

41 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

10 May 2027
From our football correspondent Upbeat

Market

Abdul Musa asks to leave Kano Pillars

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Squad

Mohammed Galadima: that is not what I was promised

“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Kano Pillars have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Market

Abdullahi Abubakar has one foot out of the door

Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Kano Pillars they have already started talking about him in the past tense.

Match

Kano Pillars see off Nasarawa United

Three points for Kano Pillars, 2-0 the final word against Nasarawa United in a contest settled by the finer margins.

Squad

Abdul Musa gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Squad

Temple Emekayi knocks on the manager's door

“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Kano Pillars, and both men came out saying it was fine.

In brief

40 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

3 May 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Umar Muhammad has one foot out of the door

Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Kano Pillars they have already started talking about him in the past tense.

Market

Talks stall between Kano Pillars and Temple Emekayi

“We are a long way apart, and pretending otherwise helps nobody.” Neither side is close, and the calendar is not on the club's side.

Squad

Mohammad Mukhtar gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

In brief

39 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

26 Apr 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Match

Kano Pillars bow out of the cup

Wikki Tourists go through and Kano Pillars go home, 0-1 the scoreline that did it. The dressing room will call the league the priority now, because that is what dressing rooms say.

Squad

Olagoke Olajobi says Kano Pillars went back on their word

“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.

Market

Sulaiman Salisu has one foot out of the door

Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Kano Pillars they have already started talking about him in the past tense.

Match

Kano Pillars find a way past Rivers United

Rivers United made Kano Pillars work for it, but the scoreboard read 2-1 at the end and the table does not ask how.

Squad

Abuchi Okeke gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Squad

Naphtali Mokoena knocks on the manager's door

“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Kano Pillars, and both men came out saying it was fine.

In brief

38 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

19 Apr 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

A one-man rearguard from Abuchi Okeke

There were 8 saves in it, and at least three that had no business being saves at all. The ten outfield players owe him a drink and they know it.

Market

Muhammed Usman has one foot out of the door

Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Kano Pillars they have already started talking about him in the past tense.

Squad

Taiye Murtala gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Squad

Kano Pillars lose Nasiru Umar

36 days, the medical staff say, and medical staff are optimists by profession. The team sheet will look wrong without him.

Match

Kano Pillars share the spoils with Remo Stars

A 1-1 draw with Remo Stars leaves the dressing room somewhere between relief and regret.

Squad

Abdul Musa asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

In brief

37 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

12 Apr 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Ahmed Musa out for 16 days

The medical room confirms 16 days on the sidelines for Ahmed Musa, and a plan built around him now has to be rebuilt.

Market

Abdullahi Abubakar is on his way

The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Kano Pillars is pretending he will be back in the shirt.

Match

Kano Pillars find a way past Barau

Barau made Kano Pillars work for it, but the scoreboard read 1-0 at the end and the table does not ask how.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Idowu Aremu

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Squad

Abdul Musa knocks on the manager's door

“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Kano Pillars, and both men came out saying it was fine.

Squad

The selectors could not leave Junior Aliyu out

6.91 across ninety minutes and a place in the division's team of the week. He was the best player on that pitch and everybody there knew it.

In brief

36 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

5 Apr 2027
From our football correspondent Crisis

Match

A hiding for Kano Pillars

Beaten 0-3 by Enyimba, and beaten everywhere it matters. The inquest starts on the training pitch on Monday morning.

Squad

Taiye Murtala signs a new deal

“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Taiye Murtala commits to Kano Pillars for another 4 years.

Market

Mujahid Ibrahim has one foot out of the door

Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Kano Pillars they have already started talking about him in the past tense.

Squad

Abdul Musa gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Boardroom

Inquest at Kano Pillars

The manager kept them in and said what needed saying. A response is expected on Saturday, and if it does not come the questions move upstairs.

Squad

Costly mistake from Abuchi Okeke

An error at the back is a moment; an error in goal is a goal. Abuchi Okeke knows it, the crowd knew it instantly, and there was nobody behind him to make it anything else.

In brief

35 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

29 Mar 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Market

Abdul Musa hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Kano Pillars can pretend not to have heard.

Squad

Mustapha Umar says Kano Pillars went back on their word

“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.

Squad

Kano Pillars lose Chiedozie Okorie

40 days, the medical staff say, and medical staff are optimists by profession. The team sheet will look wrong without him.

Market

Umar Muhammad has one foot out of the door

Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Kano Pillars they have already started talking about him in the past tense.

Squad

Naphtali Mokoena gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Match

Kano Pillars see off Warri Wolves

Three points for Kano Pillars, 1-0 the final word against Warri Wolves in a contest settled by the finer margins.

In brief

34 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

22 Mar 2027
From our football correspondent Crisis

Match

10 matches without a win for Kano Pillars

The run now stands at 10, and the questions being asked around Kano Pillars are no longer polite ones.

Market

Muhammed Usman has one foot out of the door

Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Kano Pillars they have already started talking about him in the past tense.

Match

A bad afternoon for Kano Pillars against Rangers International

1-2 to Rangers International, and no complaints worth printing. The performance asked for nothing more than it got.

In brief

33 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

15 Mar 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Match

9 matches without a win for Kano Pillars

The run now stands at 9, and the questions being asked around Kano Pillars are no longer polite ones.

Market

Junior Aliyu asks to leave Kano Pillars

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Market

Abdullahi Abubakar is on his way

The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Kano Pillars is pretending he will be back in the shirt.

Squad

Aminu Sani gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Squad

Naphtali Mokoena asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

Match

No goals between Kano Pillars and Kwara United

Ninety minutes, two goalkeepers with clean gloves, and not one finish worth keeping. Kwara United will be the happier side with the point.

In brief

32 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

8 Mar 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Match

8 matches without a win for Kano Pillars

The run now stands at 8, and the questions being asked around Kano Pillars are no longer polite ones.

Squad

Naphtali Mokoena: that is not what I was promised

“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Kano Pillars have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Squad

Okechukwu Azubuike stays put

“The easiest signature of my career.” Okechukwu Azubuike and Kano Pillars agree another 3 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.

In brief

31 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

1 Mar 2027
From our football correspondent Crisis

Market

Taiye Murtala hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Kano Pillars can pretend not to have heard.

Match

7 matches without a win for Kano Pillars

The run now stands at 7, and the questions being asked around Kano Pillars are no longer polite ones.

Squad

Chiedozie Okorie out for 69 days

The medical room confirms 69 days on the sidelines for Chiedozie Okorie, and a plan built around him now has to be rebuilt.

Market

Umar Muhammad has one foot out of the door

Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Kano Pillars they have already started talking about him in the past tense.

Match

A bad afternoon for Kano Pillars against Bayelsa United

1-2 to Bayelsa United, and no complaints worth printing. The performance asked for nothing more than it got.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Abdul Musa

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

In brief

30 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

22 Feb 2027
From our football correspondent Crisis

Match

6 matches without a win for Kano Pillars

The run now stands at 6, and the questions being asked around Kano Pillars are no longer polite ones.

Market

Muhammed Usman has one foot out of the door

Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Kano Pillars they have already started talking about him in the past tense.

Match

A bad afternoon for Kano Pillars against Ikorodu City

0-2 to Ikorodu City, and no complaints worth printing. The performance asked for nothing more than it got.

Squad

Okechukwu Azubuike gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Boardroom

Inquest at Kano Pillars

The manager kept them in and said what needed saying. A response is expected on Saturday, and if it does not come the questions move upstairs.

Market

The Naphtali Mokoena talk will not go away

Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Kano Pillars know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.

In brief

29 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

15 Feb 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Match

11 unbeaten for Kano Pillars

Hard to beat is not the same as winning, but 11 matches without defeat is a foundation Kano Pillars did not have in the autumn.

Match

5 matches without a win for Kano Pillars

The run now stands at 5, and the questions being asked around Kano Pillars are no longer polite ones.

Market

Abdullahi Abubakar is on his way

The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Kano Pillars is pretending he will be back in the shirt.

Squad

Temple Emekayi gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Match

Kano Pillars and Katsina United take a point apiece

It finished 1-1, and it somehow always looked like it would. One of those afternoons where the table moves less than the tempers.

Market

Kano Pillars and Aminu Mohammed are talking past each other

“There is a gap, and pretending there is not helps nobody.” Neither side has moved, and the calendar is working for exactly one of them.

Squad

Yusuf Maigoro has taken the shirt

At 26 he is in the side on merit and somebody else is watching from the bench. Places at Kano Pillars are won quietly and lost loudly.

Squad

Habibu Yakubu knocks on the manager's door

“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Kano Pillars, and both men came out saying it was fine.

Market

Suleiman Idris placed on the list

Kano Pillars have made Suleiman Idris available for transfer. A career at this club is over in all but paperwork.

In brief

28 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

8 Feb 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Match

10 unbeaten for Kano Pillars

Hard to beat is not the same as winning, but 10 matches without defeat is a foundation Kano Pillars did not have in the autumn.

Squad

Habibu Yakubu says Kano Pillars went back on their word

“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.

Match

4 matches without a win for Kano Pillars

The run now stands at 4, and the questions being asked around Kano Pillars are no longer polite ones.

Market

Mujahid Ibrahim has one foot out of the door

Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Kano Pillars they have already started talking about him in the past tense.

Squad

Chiedozie Okorie gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Market

Kun Khalifat expected to open talks for Muhammed Usman

Both sides expect a conversation in the coming days. Kano Pillars will name a price, and everything after that is arithmetic.

Match

Honours even between Kano Pillars and Kun Khalifat

2-2, and both dressing rooms will call it two points lost. A draw that asked plenty of questions and answered none of them.

Squad

Paschal Durugbor knocks on the manager's door

“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Kano Pillars, and both men came out saying it was fine.

Squad

Paschal Durugbor finally opens his account

He wheeled away like a man who had been carrying it for months, because he had. Kano Pillars have their signing off the mark and one press-conference question retired.

In brief

27 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

1 Feb 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Squad

Abuchi Okeke keeps Kano Pillars in it on his own

Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 6 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.

Squad

Muhammed Usman says Kano Pillars went back on their word

“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.

Match

9 unbeaten for Kano Pillars

Hard to beat is not the same as winning, but 9 matches without defeat is a foundation Kano Pillars did not have in the autumn.

Market

Umar Muhammad has one foot out of the door

Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Kano Pillars they have already started talking about him in the past tense.

Market

Muhammed Usman attracts admirers

The name of Muhammed Usman has come up in conversations Kano Pillars were not part of. Nothing formal, nothing signed — but nothing about it accidental either.

Squad

Naphtali Mokoena gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

In brief

26 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

25 Jan 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Muttaka Musa asks to leave Kano Pillars

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Match

8 unbeaten for Kano Pillars

Hard to beat is not the same as winning, but 8 matches without defeat is a foundation Kano Pillars did not have in the autumn.

Squad

Abuchi Okeke lets one through his hands

A defender's mistake gets tidied up by somebody else; a goalkeeper's ends up in the net. He knew before the ball crossed the line, and so did everybody in the ground.

Squad

Abdul Musa gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Match

Honours even between Kano Pillars and El-Kanemi Warriors

3-3, and both dressing rooms will call it two points lost. A draw that asked plenty of questions and answered none of them.

Market

Shooting Stars are about to pick up the phone

A conversation is coming this week. Kano Pillars will put a number on him, and from there it stops being football and becomes arithmetic.

Squad

Aminu Mohammed is off the mark for Kano Pillars

The first one is the one every signing is asked about until it arrives. It has arrived, and he can stop being asked.

Squad

Junior Aliyu finally opens his account

He wheeled away like a man who had been carrying it for months, because he had. Kano Pillars have their signing off the mark and one press-conference question retired.

Market

The Naphtali Mokoena talk will not go away

Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Kano Pillars know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.

In brief

25 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

18 Jan 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Junior Aliyu says Kano Pillars went back on their word

“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.

Market

Abdullahi Abubakar is on his way

The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Kano Pillars is pretending he will be back in the shirt.

Match

7 unbeaten for Kano Pillars

Hard to beat is not the same as winning, but 7 matches without defeat is a foundation Kano Pillars did not have in the autumn.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Abuchi Okeke

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Market

Kano Pillars and Aminu Mohammed are talking past each other

“There is a gap, and pretending there is not helps nobody.” Neither side has moved, and the calendar is working for exactly one of them.

Match

Kano Pillars and Plateau United cancel each other out

Nil-nil, and few chances worth the name. Plateau United came to defend and left with exactly what they came for.

In brief

24 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

11 Jan 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Abdulmalik Sanusi asks to leave Kano Pillars

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Market

Katsina United come back empty-handed

The bid was some way short and Kano Pillars did not need long over it. Nobody in the game reads a first refusal as the end of anything.

Match

6 unbeaten for Kano Pillars

Hard to beat is not the same as winning, but 6 matches without defeat is a foundation Kano Pillars did not have in the autumn.

Market

Berekum Chelsea expected to open talks for Naphtali Mokoena

Both sides expect a conversation in the coming days. Kano Pillars will name a price, and everything after that is arithmetic.

Squad

Junior Aliyu stays put

“The easiest signature of my career.” Junior Aliyu and Kano Pillars agree another 4 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.

Match

Kano Pillars see off Wikki Tourists

Three points for Kano Pillars, 2-0 the final word against Wikki Tourists in a contest settled by the finer margins.

Squad

Taiye Murtala gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Market

Kano Pillars and Temple Emekayi are talking past each other

“There is a gap, and pretending there is not helps nobody.” Neither side has moved, and the calendar is working for exactly one of them.

Squad

Abuchi Okeke asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

In brief

23 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

4 Jan 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Market

Habibu Yakubu hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Kano Pillars can pretend not to have heard.

Market

Naphtali Mokoena attracts admirers

The name of Naphtali Mokoena has come up in conversations Kano Pillars were not part of. Nothing formal, nothing signed — but nothing about it accidental either.

Market

Umar Muhammad has one foot out of the door

Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Kano Pillars they have already started talking about him in the past tense.

Market

Moses Chukwueze is a Kano Pillars player again

He left as a boy and has come back still knowing where the away end is. Most signings have to be explained to a town; this one needed a photograph and nothing else.

Squad

Temple Emekayi gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Match

Honours even between Kano Pillars and Niger Tornadoes

1-1, and both dressing rooms will call it two points lost. A draw that asked plenty of questions and answered none of them.

In brief

22 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

28 Dec 2026
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Squad

The manager makes an example of Auwalu Ali Malam

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Boardroom

Wages eat 110% of everything Kano Pillars earn

There is a figure at which a wage bill stops being ambitious and becomes the reason nothing else is possible, and this club has reached it. Nothing is left over for a transfer, a stand or a rainy afternoon.

Squad

Abdullahi Abubakar knocks on the manager's door

“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Kano Pillars, and both men came out saying it was fine.

In brief

21 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

21 Dec 2026
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Squad

Mohammad Mukhtar says Kano Pillars went back on their word

“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.

Market

Abdullahi Abubakar is on his way

The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Kano Pillars is pretending he will be back in the shirt.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Chiedozie Okorie

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

In brief

20 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

14 Dec 2026
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Boardroom

Silverware for Kano Pillars

They will talk about this season in this town for a long time. The trophy comes home with the squad, and the route is already agreed.

Squad

Abuchi Okeke decides it from twelve yards

2 kept out in the shoot-out, and a stadium that will still be describing them in twenty years. A goalkeeper only needs one of these to be remembered forever.

Match

Kano Pillars march on in the cup

Enyimba are out and Kano Pillars go through, 1-1 the final word. The bracket opens up a little, and everyone allows themselves a look at it.

In brief

19 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

7 Dec 2026
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Squad

Ali Abdullahi: that is not what I was promised

“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Kano Pillars have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Squad

Naphtali Mokoena gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Squad

Nafiu Abubakar out for 29 days

The medical room confirms 29 days on the sidelines for Nafiu Abubakar, and a plan built around him now has to be rebuilt.

In brief

18 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

30 Nov 2026
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Boardroom

Wages eat 130% of everything Kano Pillars earn

There is a figure at which a wage bill stops being ambitious and becomes the reason nothing else is possible, and this club has reached it. Nothing is left over for a transfer, a stand or a rainy afternoon.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Auwalu Ali Malam

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Squad

Taiye Murtala asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

In brief

17 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

23 Nov 2026
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Squad

Taiye Murtala: that is not what I was promised

“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Kano Pillars have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Market

Abdullahi Abubakar is on his way

The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Kano Pillars is pretending he will be back in the shirt.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Olagoke Olajobi

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

In brief

16 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

16 Nov 2026
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Squad

Naphtali Mokoena: that is not what I was promised

“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Kano Pillars have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Paschal Durugbor

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Squad

Ibrahim Inuwa stays put

“The easiest signature of my career.” Ibrahim Inuwa and Kano Pillars agree another 4 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.

In brief

15 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

9 Nov 2026
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Squad

Abdullahi Abubakar says Kano Pillars went back on their word

“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.

Squad

Naphtali Mokoena gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Loan watch

Junior Aliyu wants to come home

“I did not go to Ikorodu City to sit and watch. I want to come back to Kano Pillars and fight for my place.” 3 appearances in 9 matches say the rest.

In brief

14 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

2 Nov 2026
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Squad

Chiedozie Okorie gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Boardroom

Wages eat 130% of everything Kano Pillars earn

There is a figure at which a wage bill stops being ambitious and becomes the reason nothing else is possible, and this club has reached it. Nothing is left over for a transfer, a stand or a rainy afternoon.

Market

Kano Pillars and Temple Emekayi are talking past each other

“There is a gap, and pretending there is not helps nobody.” Neither side has moved, and the calendar is working for exactly one of them.

In brief

13 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

26 Oct 2026
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Squad

Chiedozie Okorie: that is not what I was promised

“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Kano Pillars have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Market

Abdullahi Abubakar is on his way

The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Kano Pillars is pretending he will be back in the shirt.

Loan watch

Muhammed Usman has seen enough of Warri Wolves

“I am grateful for the games, but I did not become a footballer to be somebody else's spare part.” He wants to be at Kano Pillars, and 0 appearances in 9 say he has earned the hearing.

In brief

12 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

19 Oct 2026
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Squad

Mustapha Jibrin says Kano Pillars went back on their word

“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.

Squad

Abdullahi Musa gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Squad

Paschal Durugbor knocks on the manager's door

“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Kano Pillars, and both men came out saying it was fine.

In brief

11 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

12 Oct 2026
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Squad

The manager makes an example of Olagoke Olajobi

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Squad

Naphtali Mokoena asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

Squad

Habibu Yakubu keeps his manager's vote

The message was aimed at the stands as much as the dressing room: Habibu Yakubu plays, and the argument is closed until the manager decides otherwise.

10 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

5 Oct 2026
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Boardroom

Wages eat 222% of everything Kano Pillars earn

There is a figure at which a wage bill stops being ambitious and becomes the reason nothing else is possible, and this club has reached it. Nothing is left over for a transfer, a stand or a rainy afternoon.

Squad

Taiye Murtala gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Squad

Williams Yikat knocks on the manager's door

“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Kano Pillars, and both men came out saying it was fine.

In brief

9 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

28 Sep 2026
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Match

Cup progress for Kano Pillars

A 2-0 win over El-Kanemi Warriors, a place in the next round, and the quiet arithmetic every supporter does on the walk home: how many more until a final?

Market

Abdullahi Abubakar is on his way

The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Kano Pillars is pretending he will be back in the shirt.

Squad

Auwalu Ali Malam gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Loan watch

Muhammed Usman has seen enough of Warri Wolves

“I am grateful for the games, but I did not become a footballer to be somebody else's spare part.” He wants to be at Kano Pillars, and 0 appearances in 5 say he has earned the hearing.

Squad

Taiye Murtala knocks on the manager's door

“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Kano Pillars, and both men came out saying it was fine.

Squad

Abdul Musa finally opens his account

He wheeled away like a man who had been carrying it for months, because he had. Kano Pillars have their signing off the mark and one press-conference question retired.

In brief

8 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

21 Sep 2026
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Match

No end in sight to Kano Pillars's wait for a win

7 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at Kano Pillars has to find a result from somewhere.

Squad

Abuchi Okeke keeps Kano Pillars in it on his own

Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 6 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Mohammad Mukhtar

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

In brief

7 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

14 Sep 2026
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Match

No end in sight to Kano Pillars's wait for a win

6 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at Kano Pillars has to find a result from somewhere.

Market

Talks stall between Kano Pillars and Temple Emekayi

“We are a long way apart, and pretending otherwise helps nobody.” Neither side is close, and the calendar is not on the club's side.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Ali Abdullahi

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Squad

Abuchi Okeke knocks on the manager's door

“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Kano Pillars, and both men came out saying it was fine.

Match

Kano Pillars and Abia Warriors cancel each other out

Nil-nil, and few chances worth the name. Abia Warriors came to defend and left with exactly what they came for.

Squad

The shirt belongs to Paschal Durugbor now

At 27 he has made the position his own, and the man he took it from has to find something to say about it. Kano Pillars have a decision that made itself.

In brief

6 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

7 Sep 2026
From our football correspondent Crisis

Market

Olakunle Akala asks to leave Kano Pillars

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Match

No end in sight to Kano Pillars's wait for a win

5 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at Kano Pillars has to find a result from somewhere.

Squad

Tobi Alagbe gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Match

A bad afternoon for Kano Pillars against Rivers United

0-1 to Rivers United, and no complaints worth printing. The performance asked for nothing more than it got.

Boardroom

129% of the income goes out in wages at Kano Pillars

Every club in football pays most of what it earns to its players. Paying nearly all of it is a different arrangement, and it has ended the same way every time somebody has tried it.

Squad

The month belongs to Williams Yikat

The award is a small thing with a heavy meaning: for four weeks nobody in this division did his job better. Kano Pillars have the trophy on a shelf and the player in the side.

Squad

Paschal Durugbor knocks on the manager's door

“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Kano Pillars, and both men came out saying it was fine.

Squad

Sulaiman Salisu makes his debut at 19

At 19 years old, Sulaiman Salisu became the latest name off the academy production line to be handed a senior shirt.

Market

Taiye Murtala joins Kano Pillars on a free

No fee and no drama: Taiye Murtala has signed at Kano Pillars, and the wage bill is the only line that moved.

In brief

5 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

31 Aug 2026
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Abuchi Okeke decides it from twelve yards

2 kept out in the shoot-out, and a stadium that will still be describing them in twenty years. A goalkeeper only needs one of these to be remembered forever.

Match

Cup progress for Kano Pillars

A 1-1 win over Bendel Insurance, a place in the next round, and the quiet arithmetic every supporter does on the walk home: how many more until a final?

Market

Charles Tambe asks to leave Kano Pillars

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Market

Abdullahi Abubakar is on his way

The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Kano Pillars is pretending he will be back in the shirt.

Match

No end in sight to Kano Pillars's wait for a win

4 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at Kano Pillars has to find a result from somewhere.

Match

7 unbeaten for Kano Pillars

Hard to beat is not the same as winning, but 7 matches without defeat is a foundation Kano Pillars did not have in the autumn.

Market

Kano Pillars sign Olagoke Olajobi for $56.0K

The paperwork is done: Olagoke Olajobi joins from Shooting Stars in a deal worth $56.0K. Now comes the harder part.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Chiedozie Okorie

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Squad

Paschal Durugbor asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

In brief

4 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

24 Aug 2026
From our football correspondent Steady

Match

Cup progress for Kano Pillars

A 0-0 win over Bayelsa United, a place in the next round, and the quiet arithmetic every supporter does on the walk home: how many more until a final?

Squad

Mohammed Galadima decides it from twelve yards

1 kept out in the shoot-out, and a stadium that will still be describing them in twenty years. A goalkeeper only needs one of these to be remembered forever.

Market

Bendel Insurance come back empty-handed

The bid was some way short and Kano Pillars did not need long over it. Nobody in the game reads a first refusal as the end of anything.

Market

Mujahid Ibrahim hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Kano Pillars can pretend not to have heard.

Market

Chinedu Ozor is on his way

The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Kano Pillars is pretending he will be back in the shirt.

Squad

Abdul Musa stays put

“The easiest signature of my career.” Abdul Musa and Kano Pillars agree another 3 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.

Squad

Okechukwu Azubuike gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Match

Kano Pillars and Barau take a point apiece

It finished 1-1, and it somehow always looked like it would. One of those afternoons where the table moves less than the tempers.

Squad

Naphtali Mokoena knocks on the manager's door

“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Kano Pillars, and both men came out saying it was fine.

In brief

3 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

17 Aug 2026
From our football correspondent Upbeat

Market

Junior Aliyu attracts admirers

The name of Junior Aliyu has come up in conversations Kano Pillars were not part of. Nothing formal, nothing signed — but nothing about it accidental either.

Match

Kano Pillars get the job done against Enyimba

A 2-1 win over Enyimba, earned rather than given, and the sort of afternoon that sends everyone home talking about next week instead of this one.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Abuchi Okeke

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Market

Talks stall between Kano Pillars and Temple Emekayi

“We are a long way apart, and pretending otherwise helps nobody.” Neither side is close, and the calendar is not on the club's side.

Market

Kun Khalifat are about to pick up the phone

A conversation is coming this week. Kano Pillars will put a number on him, and from there it stops being football and becomes arithmetic.

Squad

Abuchi Okeke lets one through his hands

A defender's mistake gets tidied up by somebody else; a goalkeeper's ends up in the net. He knew before the ball crossed the line, and so did everybody in the ground.

Market

Charles Tambe told to find a new club

“They were honest with me, and I would rather know.” Charles Tambe has been informed he is not in the manager's thinking at Kano Pillars.

Squad

Ahmed Musa is off the mark for Kano Pillars

The first one is the one every signing is asked about until it arrives. It has arrived, and he can stop being asked.

Squad

A first senior shirt for Sagir Lawan

Every debut is a small story about the future: Sagir Lawan, 19 years old, off the academy pitches and into the first team. The parents in the stand will keep the programme.

In brief

  • The terraces The press have found their man in Ahmed Musa
  • The terraces The stand has a song for Ahmed Musa
2 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

10 Aug 2026
From our football correspondent Upbeat

Market

Kano Pillars turn down Warri Wolves for Muhammed Usman

The offer was not close and it was refused without much discussion. Whether the second one is refused as quickly is another matter.

Market

Abdullahi Abubakar attracts admirers

The name of Abdullahi Abubakar has come up in conversations Kano Pillars were not part of. Nothing formal, nothing signed — but nothing about it accidental either.

Squad

Paschal Durugbor gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Match

Kano Pillars find a way past Warri Wolves

Warri Wolves made Kano Pillars work for it, but the scoreboard read 1-0 at the end and the table does not ask how.

Market

Talks stall between Kano Pillars and Naphtali Mokoena

“We are a long way apart, and pretending otherwise helps nobody.” Neither side is close, and the calendar is not on the club's side.

Market

Nobody at Kano Pillars has picked up the phone to Usman Fahad

48 months to run and not a word offered. A club that lets the calendar negotiate for it usually ends up losing to the calendar.

Squad

Usman Fahad knocks on the manager's door

“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Kano Pillars, and both men came out saying it was fine.

Squad

A first senior shirt for Suleman Garba

Every debut is a small story about the future: Suleman Garba, 18 years old, off the academy pitches and into the first team. The parents in the stand will keep the programme.

Squad

Junior Aliyu is off the mark for Kano Pillars

The first one is the one every signing is asked about until it arrives. It has arrived, and he can stop being asked.

In brief

1 Edition

The Kano Pillars Gazette

3 Aug 2026
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Market

Gabriel Ugochukwu asks to leave Kano Pillars

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Squad

Ahmed Musa stays put

“The easiest signature of my career.” Ahmed Musa and Kano Pillars agree another 2 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.

Market

Muhammed Usman attracts admirers

The name of Muhammed Usman has come up in conversations Kano Pillars were not part of. Nothing formal, nothing signed — but nothing about it accidental either.

Market

Nobody at Kano Pillars has picked up the phone to Ahmed Musa

24 months to run and not a word offered. A club that lets the calendar negotiate for it usually ends up losing to the calendar.

Squad

Usman Fahad asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

Market

Mujahid Ibrahim is free to find somewhere else

“I was told straight, and I would rather have it straight.” The manager at Kano Pillars has been clear about where Mujahid Ibrahim stands, which is more than many ever get.

In brief