After Kano Pillars’ thrilling 2-2 tie with Lobi Stars, Usman Abdallah promised to improve his team’s defensive shortcomings.
In their 2024–25 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) away match against Lobi Stars, which concluded in an exciting 2-2 tie on Saturday, November 23, 2024, at the Lafia City Stadium, Abdallah masterminded a tactical comeback in the second half.
The Sai Masu Gida fell behind 2-0 in the first 14 minutes as the Lobi Stars scored twice through Ossy Martins in the 14th minute and Ahmadu Liman in the 7th.
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By the end of the first half, Pillars was in a vulnerable situation and in dire need of motivation.
Rabiu Ali’s incredible 45-yard free kick in the 76th minute gave Lobi Stars custodian Orya Joseph little chance to save the breakthrough.
Mustapha Umar tied the scoring in the 77th minute, just one minute later.
The goalie parried a strong attempt from Ahmed Musa, but Umar jumped on the rebound to score his second goal of the year.
An animated Abdallah highlighted the need to correct defensive shortcomings while applauding his team’s tenacity, especially in the second half, during the post-game news conference.
“We cannot continue this way. Together with my assistants, we will sit down and find ways to address this issue.
“We have been the highest-scoring team in the league, so there is no reason why we should keep conceding silly goals.
” It’s unacceptable, and everyone must take responsibility from now on.
“We need to identify a no-nonsense central defender during the midseason transfer window, whether from Nigeria, Niger Republic, or any other country, who can come in and strengthen the team.”
With 19 points, the Pyramid City team is now in sixth place on the log, four points behind league leaders Remo Stars, who still have a game to play.
