Kano Pillars have reached an agreement to appoint former Remo Stars manager Daniel Ogunmodede as their new head coach and technical adviser ahead of the 2026/2027 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season, Soccernet.ng reports.
The appointment was officially confirmed on Friday, July 3, through the club's X account, ending weeks of speculation over who would lead Maisu Gida, Northern Nigeria's biggest football club.
Ogunmodede replaces Evans Ogenyi and arrives with a strong coaching record in Nigerian football. Reports suggest Kano Pillars beat strong competition from fellow NPFL giants Enyimba to secure his services.
Despite taking over at Kano Pillars, Ogunmodede will continue in his national team role as one of the assistant coaches of the Super Eagles. He is expected to combine both responsibilities during the coming season.
His arrival comes after an outstanding spell with Remo Stars. During the 2024/2025 season, he guided the Ikenne-based club to the first NPFL title in their history. He also led Remo Stars to two different CAF Champions League campaigns, helping the club gain valuable experience against some of Africa's strongest teams.
Beyond winning matches, Ogunmodede built a reputation for developing young players and encouraging attractive possession football. His tactical approach became so popular among supporters that many nicknamed it “Ijaball.”
Kano Pillars chase former glory with Ogunmodede
Ogunmodede's biggest challenge now will be restoring Kano Pillars to the top of Nigerian football after a difficult season last term.
The four-time league champions endured a disappointing 2025/2026 campaign, finishing 15th in the 20-team NPFL table. They collected 48 points from 38 matches after recording 15 wins, six draws and 17 defeats. They scored only 34 goals while conceding 39, ending the season with a minus-five goal difference.
Most importantly, Pillars escaped relegation by just one point on the final day of the season after spending much of the second half of the campaign battling near the bottom of the table.
The team's poor away form proved costly throughout the season. Although they produced some impressive displays at home, including a convincing 4-0 victory over Bendel Insurance, they struggled badly on the road and finished with 17 league defeats.
At Kano Pillars, Ogunmodede will reunite with former Leicester City forward Ahmed Musa who was Super Eagles captain until his international retirement last year. Musa is now playing an even bigger role on the pitch as Pillars' captain and behind the scenes as the club's general manager.
While looking to return Pillars to title contention, Ogunmodede will have his eyes set on becoming the first coach to win the biggest prize money in Nigerian football league history. Following recent reforms, the winners of the NPFL will earn a cash reward of ₦1 billion.
The expectations are naturally high because Kano Pillars remain one of Nigeria's most successful football institutions. Founded in 1990, the club won four NPFL titles and two Federation Cups, while also becoming the last team to win three consecutive league titles between 2012 and 2014.
On the continental stage, Pillars reached the semi-finals of the 2009 CAF Champions League after eliminating Egyptian giants Al Ahly. The club also enjoyed a remarkable world-record run of 202 consecutive home league matches without defeat between 2003 and 2015 at the Sani Abacha Stadium.
