Pillars visit Khalifat in survival chase

Kun Khalifat will host Kano Pillars in a crucial Nigeria Premier Football League clash on Sunday, with both sides still fighting to secure their top-flight status, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

The matchday 36 fixture at the Dan Anyiam Stadium in Owerri comes at a decisive stage of the season, with the battle for survival tightening as the campaign enters its final stretch.

Kano Pillars, who sit 12th with 45 points, have insisted they are fully focused and motivated ahead of the trip, as they look to steady their season with a crucial away result.

“The team is in high spirits and fully focused as they gear up for this important fixture, with all eyes set on securing a positive result on the road,” the club wrote in a social media statement.

Despite their position, they are aware of the challenge posed by an improving Kun Khalifat side, who are unbeaten in their last three league matches and have shown renewed resilience in recent weeks.

Khalifat occupy 18th place with 40 points and know that anything short of victory could leave them further exposed in the relegation zone, but head coach Obinna Uzoho has struck a confident tone ahead of the clash.

“We are up against the ‘Old Dog’ of the NPFL. Sai Masu Gida is a team with deep history, but we will play in our home ground,” Uzoho said.

“We do not fear, even though we respect them. They might have the name, but we have the hunger, we are hungrier.”

Kano Pillars, under coach Mohammed Babaganaru, will also be wary of the stakes, knowing that defeat could drag them further into the relegation conversation as the season reaches its decisive phase.

With both sides fighting to secure their top-flight status, Sunday’s encounter is expected to be tense and tightly contested, with survival implications hanging heavily over proceedings in Owerri.