Kano Pillars technical adviser Daniel Ogunmodede said his side’s preparation was key to their 4-1 victory over Doma United in Sunday’s Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) matchday four game at Sani Abacha Stadium.
The result ended Doma United’s unbeaten start to the season. They had won their opening three matches, collecting nine points without conceding a goal.
Kano Pillars took control in the 20th minute when Abdullahi Musa opened the scoring. They had the opportunity to extend their lead nine minutes later, but Rabiu Ali sent his penalty over the crossbar after Ahmed Musa had been fouled inside the area.
Ali recovered from that miss by scoring Kano Pillars’ second goal in the 33rd minute.
Doma United improved after half-time and were rewarded when Sadiq Rilwan reduced the deficit in the 53rd minute. The visitors’ response put the hosts under pressure, but Kano Pillars regained control as Ahmed Musa and Nasiru Salihu both scored to complete a convincing victory.
Ogunmodede said he had anticipated a demanding contest because of Doma United’s impressive beginning to the campaign.
“We expected a tough game because they had gone three matches unbeaten with nine points and had never conceded, but we prepared very well for them,” Ogunmodede told the club’s media.
He added that Kano Pillars’ absence from action the previous weekend had allowed them to devote more time to preparing for the match.
“Not playing last weekend gave us ample opportunity to prepare more for them, and no doubt, you could see they gave us a tough time.”
The technical adviser also outlined the changes made after Doma United pulled a goal back early in the second half.
Kano Pillars had aimed to establish a two-goal advantage before the interval, but the visitors’ goal increased the pressure on the home side.
“We played to our strength. We tried to get two goals in the first half. The goal we conceded after the second half created a lot of pressure for us, which was why we brought in fresh faces in midfield and attack to stop their centre-backs from taking the ball forward,” he said.
The victory gave Kano Pillars a strong response in a match against one of the NPFL’s early-season pace-setters, while Doma United suffered their first defeat of the campaign.