Kano Pillars recorded their first win of the season in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) after claiming a 2-0 win over Enyimba at their adopted home ground in Kaduna.
A cagey 15 minutes start to the game saw both sides cancel out each other brilliantly but Enyimba managed to sneak behind the defence of their host thrice. Poor final ball from the trio of Ekene Awaziem, Sadiq Abubakar and Victor Mboama meant they couldn’t get an effort on target.
Pillars then asserted their authority in the game around the 25 minute mark and it led to the first shot of the game from Kabiru Sanusi which Leke Ojo repelled with his feet at his near post.
Ojo was again called into action five minutes later and this time round he was quick off his line to deny Kokoette Udoh the chance to open scoring, Sanusi would send his rebound wide. Rabiu Ali was next to try his luck but yet again Ojo was equal to his effort.
A foul on Sanusi on the edge of the box gave Ali the chance to try his luck from the resultant free kick but Ojo was at full stretch to make his third save in ten minutes as Pillars pushed on to break the deadlock.
Two minutes into added time of the first 45 minutes, Udoh was quick to pounce on a mix up between Ojo and Emmanuel Ampiah. He was felled by Ojo as he bullied his way in between them earning his team a penalty.
Ali stepped up to send Ojo the wrong way to hand his team the lead going into the half time break at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium.
The second half was fifteen minutes old when Udoh got the goal that his all round impressive performance deserved with an audacious lob following a poor clearance from Ojo.
Ozor came close to reducing the deficit for Enyimba with his effort shaving the woodwork much to the disappointment of coach Finidi George who thought it was in already.
Kano Pillars hung on to claim all three points in front of their club legend and captain of the senior national team of Nigeria, Ahmed Musa.
