Kano Pillars FC, the four-time champions of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), have officially reached a mutual settlement with former Head Coach Evans Ogenyi.
Ogenyi joined the club ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, taking up a one-season contract after steering them to earlier success in the preseason.
However, the arrangement came to an end following a run of disappointing results. After eight league matches, the club’s record stood at two wins, two draws and four defeats a tally which triggered action by the management.
In mid-October, Ogenyi was suspended alongside the chief coach pending further review. At that time, the club announced interim technical leadership would be assumed by former captain Gambo Muhammad, goalkeeping coach Suleiman Shuaibu and junior team coach Garzali Muhammad.
Following further discussions, the club confirmed that all parties had agreed to terms for Ogenyi’s departure and the settlement of his contractual entitlements.
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Chief Executive Chairman Ali Nayara confirmed the decision and stated that the club has now appointed Mohammed Babaganaru as the new head. “We’ve had discussions with him and agreed on certain issues. We have no problems with him,” Nayara said. “Our focus now is on rescuing Kano Pillars from its current position, which is very poor.”
The club management emphasised the need to strengthen the squad during the upcoming mid-season transfer window and restore the team’s competitive edge.
Editorial
When a storied club like Kano Pillars FC alters course mid-season, it is not merely changing the name on the touchline; it is signalling a deeper recalibration of identity, ambition and culture. Evans Ogenyi’s tenure arrived amid modest expectation: a coach with a track record, tasked with reviving a powerhouse that has drifted from its former heights. Yet when the early results revealed a team limping rather than rising, the inevitable reckoning arrived.
What is uncovered in moments like these is not only the fragility of competition but the weight of legacy. For Kano Pillars, success is not optional. The supporters, the history, the brand all demand resurgence. Ogenyi’s tenure proved too brief for redemption. Two wins in eight outings is a ledger unbefitting the blue-blood of Nigerian football. The mutual settlement is thus less about blame and more about resetting expectations.
This is not simply about replacing one coach with another. It is about the club confronting its discomfort outdated tactics, compromised recruitment, wavering belief. The appointment of Mohammed Babaganaru signals a return to familiarity, to proven domestic experience. But unless it is accompanied by clarity of purpose, structure and discipline, it may amount to rearranging the deck-chairs.
In the broader picture, the case of Kano Pillars mirrors an uncomfortable truth about the NPFL that prestige alone cannot carry you. Success demands governance, investment, patience and an alignment from the boardroom to the locker-room. The club’s mid-season transfer focus speaks of urgency. But urgency without plan breeds chaos.
As Pillars embark on the new chapter, the question is no longer who is in charge it is whether the club understands what made them great and whether they are prepared to rebuild from first principles rather than quick fixes. For fans yearning for the old glory, the departure of Ogenyi is a moment of pause rather than celebration. The real work begins now in strategy, culture, and renewal.
Did You Know?
- Kano Pillars FC boast one of the largest fan bases in Nigeria’s north, with home attendances at the Sani Abacha Stadium frequently surpassing many southern clubs.
- The club’s nickname,“Sai Masu Gida”, literally translates as “the ones who don’t go home” in Hausa—emphasising their home-ground resilience.
- Evans Ogenyi previously guided Lobi Stars to promotion from Nigeria Division 2 and also led the side into the CAF Champions League quarter-finals in a past campaign.
- Mohammed Babaganaru, who now takes over at Pillars, has won the NPFL title before as head coach of the same club.
- Kano Pillars were one of only two clubs in NPFL history to avoid relegation since the league’s current format was adopted highlighting how unusual their current low-table position is.
