Kano Pillars technical adviser Mohammed Babaganaru has spoken out about his side's 2-1 defeat to Kun Khalifat FC on Sunday, saying the team lost focus at a critical moment and paid dearly for it.
The match took place at the Dan Anyiam Stadium in Owerri, with Nnorom Nmesoma and Ebetomame Oghenetega both finding the net for the home side. Luis Dadong pulled one back for Pillars, but it was not enough to salvage anything from the game.
Babaganaru described the sequence of events that cost his team: Kun Khalifat scored first, Pillars drew level, and then conceded again — a pattern that left the technical adviser frustrated. "It was not the result we wanted despite our determination to get a victory in the game," he said. "They scored first and we equalised after which we conceded again, I think we lost the game to loss of concentration towards the end."
The defeat is a serious concern for the club. Kano Pillars now sit 14th on the NPFL table with 45 points, just two points clear of the relegation zone. With Matchday 38 coming up on 24 May — an away fixture against Plateau United — there is very little room for another slip. The club's away form has been a persistent problem this season, and this latest result in Owerri does nothing to ease the worry.
Babaganaru and his players will need to sharpen up quickly. Another poor showing on the road could drag Pillars into a relegation battle that nobody at the club wants any part of.