Sports - Football - Nigerian Leagues
Updated: February 22, 2021

NPFL: Kano Pillars Boss Points Out Simple Reason Why Team Lost To Lobi Stars (Video)

By Ridwan Yusuf
February 22, 2021
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Lobi Stars of Makurdi beat Kano Pillars on Sunday by a lone goal in the matchday 11 of the 2020/21 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) season.

Ogunye Austin’s 4th minute strike was enough for the hosts. All efforts by Pillars to come back into the game proved abortive as the game ended 1-0.

After the match, Technical Adviser of the four-time NPFL champions, Emmanuel Lionel Soccoia, praised his boys for their performance, but was furious with Lobi Stars' delay tactics.

The French tactician said it was disappointing to see the players of Lobi Stars' on-pitch theatricals.

“This is not a football game. Lobi Stars players delay-tactics will not help matters in moving the league forward,” coach Lionel lamented.

He said, about twenty minutes was wasted from start to the end of the match due to the delay tactics employed by Lobi Stars, which he described as sickening and does not want to play against a team with an attitude like that of the Benue-based side.

According to the former Cotonsport trainer, the 'Sai Masu Gida' paid dearly for failing to convert their chances in the game and have now shifted focus to the matchday 12 at home to Sunshine Stars of Akure.

Kano Pillars' Rabiu Ali speaks

On his part, captain of the side, Rabiu Ali aka Pele thanked God for an injury-free game despite the defeat.

Pele commended the League Management Company of Nigeria (LMC), for their effort to move the league up to a global standard and has also called on them to be vigilant as some stakeholders might smear the image of the league.

With their last result, Kano Pillars remained third on the log with 20 points from 11 matches.

The Aiteo Cup holders left Makurdi to Kaduna on Monday morning ahead of their NPFL fixture against Sunshine Stars on Wednesday at the Ahmadu Bello stadium in Kaduna.

Watch Coach Emmanuel Lionel of Kano Pillars' post-match interview below:

Kano Pillars gaffer Emmanuel Lionel Soccia angry with what he called delay tactics employed by Lobi Stars: "They got their goal in the fifth minute, played good football but after they (Lobi Players) where falling on the pitch like this (He demonstrated).".
I don laugh tire! pic.twitter.com/vbvI6GN96W
— Godwin Enakhena (@genakhena) February 22, 2021