Kano Pillars will be out to end a painful run in Ibadan when they take on Shooting Stars at the Lekan Salami Stadium on Wednesday in a rescheduled NPFL Matchday 3 clash.
For Sai Masu Gida, simply walking away with a point would count as a huge achievement. The last time the club avoided defeat on 3SC's turf was back on June 7, 2017, when the two sides played out a goalless draw. Everything since then has gone the Oluyole Warriors' way, with Pillars losing their last four visits to Ibadan, shipping six goals in the process while managing just a single goal of their own in reply.
There is reason for optimism this time around, though. Kano Pillars arrive in Ibadan unbeaten in their last six matches across all competitions, a run built on two wins and four draws that has them sitting 7th on the log with 10 points. That sequence includes a hard-fought 1-1 draw at home to Sporting Lagos FC on Matchday 7, where Ahmed Musa's 49th-minute strike kept the unbeaten run alive.
Shooting Stars, for their part, have been strong on home soil, picking up two wins and a draw from three matches at the Lekan Salami Stadium. Despite that solid home form, the Oluyole Warriors find themselves down in 17th position with just seven points, a reminder that results elsewhere have not gone their way this season.
A first point in Ibadan in nine years would mean a great deal for Pillars beyond just erasing a long-standing hoodoo. Victory or even a draw would push the club into the top five of the table and send a clear message that this Kano Pillars side has fixed the away-day problems that cost them so dearly last season, when they lost nine matches on the road. Fans back home will be hoping the players can finally turn the tide in Ibadan before shifting focus to the trip to Plateau United on October 11 for Matchday 8.