Pillars not done with AC Leopards – Afelokhai

How ready is Kano Pillars for the match against AC Leopards?I can tell you that we are individually and collectively ready to battle AC Leopards for a place in the group stage of the CAF Champions League. We have been training very hard and our management is also doing everything possible to motivate us ahead […]

How ready is Kano Pillars for the match against AC Leopards?
I can tell you that we are individually and collectively ready to battle AC Leopards for a place in the group stage of the CAF Champions League. We have been training very hard and our management is also doing everything possible to motivate us ahead of this important match. Although we won the first leg 4-1 at home, we are not going to take anything for granted.
Having played them in the first leg, what is your own assessment of AC Leopards?
To be honest with you even though we defeated AC Leopards 4-1, that did not take away the fact that they are a good side. They played every well and I can say that they were even better than us. This means they are not a push over and we are not allowing the victory over them to deceive us. The match on Saturday is not going to be an easy one. What we have resolved to do is to redouble our efforts so that we would be able to get a good result and qualify for the group stage.
Playing away from home comes with lot of pressure and challenges. How prepared is Pillars to handle such challenges?
Handling pressure is not new to us. I know there is going to be pressure because our fans want us to win and progress in the competition and our opponents would also want to beat us to progress. This means there will be pressure on us and on them. I tell you playing in Kano before our teeming supporters has made us tough. We are now used to pressure. So I know the match in Congo will be full of pressure but we shall handle the situation. We are banking on God.
Pillars came so close in 2009 in the CAF Champions League. What is the target this time?
It is true we lost out at the semi-finals in 2009 but this time we want to go all the way to the finals. I know we are going to face hurdles but with determination and commitment we shall achieve our dream. One thing I know for sure is that we all want to make the people of Kano happy and also make a name for ourselves. I want to make history by winning the CAF Champions League with Kano Pillars. I want to be a champion and I will continue to give my all.
Away from the match against AC leopards, Pillars are doing well in the ongoing NPFL. What is the secret?
It is nothing more than the understanding that we have built over the years. It may interest you to know that the team that won the NPL title last year is still the same. We have lost only a few players. The core of the team is intact. Pillars have not recruited so many new players so we do not need to blend. We have already understood one another and that is why we are doing very well. Most times when a team goes on mass recruitment of players, it takes time for the team to gel.
It is an open secret that you are one of the longest serving members of kano Pillars FC. Why have you decided to stay this long with the club?
I don’t believe in moving from one club to another for the fun of it. I know what I want in football and if I am getting it in Kano, I do not see any reason I should be moving about. For now, I am enjoying my stay in the club and I don’t have any cause to complain. One thing I want you to know that Pillars is one of the best managed clubs in the country. The management has been transparent and honest in its dealings with the players. Life is not all about money. Sometimes respect alone can satisfy more than money. So to answer your question, I am happy in Pillars and I don’t know how soon I will be leaving. I want to win laurels with the club.
How is the team going to cope with the recent exit of the duo of Reuben Gabriel and Papa Idris who are also members of the Home-based Super Eagles?
The truth of the matter is that apart from Umar Zango who has played most of our matches, Reuben Gabriel and Papa Idris have not contributed much this season. We have been playing without these players and it will make no difference even now that they are gone. Mind you Pillars is not built around individual players. We believe in team work and so even when we miss a player, it does not affect the team adversely. The fact is that there are so many replacements for these players. This is not to say we are not going to miss their wealth of experience as national team players.
Finally you played for Nigeria at the junior level and you were widely tipped to keep goal for the Super Eagles but that is yet to happen. Are you not worried that coach Keshi is yet to give you a chance?
As you rightly noted I played for the country’s U-20 and U-23 and I did my best to impress. Indeed many people believed by now I would be keeping for the Super Eagles but that is yet to happen. If you ask me why I have not been invited, I cannot give you an answer. In fact it is Nigerians who have been complaining on my behalf. They feel that as one of the most consistent goalkeepers in the domestic league, I deserve to be given a chance. I am in top form and I will continue to do my best. I have just won NPFL’s player of the month award. It is said God’s time is the best. My own time will come. I am not disturbed. My priority at the moment is to help Kano Pillars win the CAF Champions League Cup.