Kano Pillars Football Club on Sunday defeated Nasarawa United 2-0 in a Matchday 11 fixture of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) at the Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano.

Yahaya Ibrahim opened scoring for the hosts in the 15th minute, while Fabian Nworie doubled the lead in the 65th minute to secure the maximum three points for the Sai Masu Gida.

All efforts by Nasarawa United to pull one back proved abortive as Kano Pillars’ defence remained resolute, denying the visitors any scoring opportunity.

Speaking after the match, Kano Pillars Head Coach, Daniel Ogunmodede, expressed satisfaction with the victory, describing Nasarawa United as a tactically disciplined and difficult opponents.

Mr Ogunmodede said his players faced considerable pressure to win, given the expectations of the club’s supporters.

“Most of the time, we play under so much pressure here because we want to win, and our fans expect us to win every game.

“The good thing is that we are gradually adapting to the pressure,” he added.

He said Nasarawa United demonstrated tactical discipline, adding that his team exploited the wide areas and spaces in the opponents’ defence to create scoring opportunities.

According to him, the tactical use of the wing-backs in the opening 20 minutes created confusion for Nasarawa United’s full-backs and provided spaces in the central areas.

He stated that the team maintained the same approach in the second half, creating several chances but failing to convert some of them.

“In the second half, we deserved to score three or more goals, but unfortunately, we were a little bit wasteful,” he said.

The coach described the victory as important, saying it would improve the team’s position on the league table and ease pressure on the players and supporters.

He expressed delight that the team secured not only the three points but also a clean sheet.

Kano Pillars will next face Kun Khalifat FC on Friday in their Matchday 12 fixture.

(NAN)