Kano Pillars technical adviser, Ibrahim Musa, has laid down a marker ahead of his side’s epic #AiteoCup18final clash against Rangers International of Enugu at the Stephen Keshi stadium in Asaba on Wednesday.
Speaking to aclsports.com after Sai Masu Gida’s final training session, Musa opined that while his Pillars team respect the Flying Antelopes, they are not in anyway scared of the coal city team.
“We respect Rangers, but won’t fear them,” Musa told ACLSports. “Rangers are a good team, you can’t underrate them. We saw them in Kano, they came as group winners (in the round of 16). So, it’s a good team.”
Pillars are into their first cup final since losing to El-Kanemi Warriors 27years ago and according to their boss, Musa, the club cannot afford to let slip this opportunity.
“We have never won it [Aiteo Cup], last time we played in the final we were beaten 3-2 by El-Kanemi. So, this time around we are in the final, we cannot afford to miss the cup by the special grace of God.”
The gaffer added that having missed one of their targets for the 2017/2018 season, winning the Nigeria Professional Football League, NPFL, Pillars are very motivated not to miss the second, the Aiteo Cup.
“Our target (at the beginning of the season) was to win the league [NPFL] and FA Cup, we missed the league [but] can’t miss the Aiteo Cup and that’s why we are this motivated from the government. We are well motivated.”
Pillars have been promised a very good reward by the Kano state government should they win, after the Deputy Governor of the state, Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna led a delegation that visited the team during their final training session on Tuesday.
Should Pillars manage to win the Aiteo Cup, it will be their first cup victory in 65 years, after winning doing so in 1953 when it was known as the Governor’s Cup.
Musa has been at Pillars since October 2017 after he was placed in charge of the Kano outfit in an acting capability.
