Kano Pillars vs Ranchers Bees: Preview as seven draws face a test

Kano Pillars host Ranchers Bees at the Sani Abacha Stadium on Saturday with a chance to turn one of the NPFL's most draw-heavy records into ground on the leaders, while the visitors arrive fresh from beating Enyimba.

Pillars go into Matchday 13 fourth on 19 points, level with Barau FC but ahead on goal difference, according to the table compiled by Football in Nigeria after 12 rounds. Four wins, seven draws and one defeat explain both their strength and their problem.

Ranchers Bees are 17th on 12 points, but they moved up after a 1-0 win over Enyimba last Sunday, the game in which Tijani Kabiru reached 100 NPFL appearances.

Match facts

Form guide: Pillars hard to beat, Ranchers finally winning

Pillars beat Nasarawa United 2-0 on Matchday 11, then drew 1-1 with Kun Khalifat in a game played at the Enyimba Stadium in Aba. That draw was their seventh of the season, more than any other side in the leading group.

Ranchers needed one moment against Enyimba. Chiedozie Jude Okorie beat goalkeeper Dede Dare from long range in the 42nd minute at the Bako Kontagora Stadium in Minna, and the Bees held on despite Enyimba pushing for an equaliser.

Ranchers coach Majin Mohammed called the result “very important” after the game, according to the league's match report, and admitted his side's position on the table was “tight”.

Key battles

Nigerian connection: Okorie's long-range threat against a Pillars side that rarely loses

Okorie's winner against Enyimba came from distance, and that is the kind of goal that can settle a tight away game. Against a Pillars side that has lost only once in 12 matches, Ranchers may not create many clear chances, so a shot from range could be their best route.

At the other end, Pillars' challenge is the final pass. Seven draws suggest a team that keeps games close but does not always find the extra goal, and Saturday is a home game they will expect to win.

Analysis: Pillars' draws are now costing them ground

Pillars' record is the profile of a hard team to beat rather than a title favourite. One defeat in 12 is excellent, but four wins from those games means they have collected only 19 of the 36 points available.

This round gives them an opening. The top three are all on the road this weekend, as our Matchday 13 guide set out, so a home win in Kano could lift Pillars right into the leading pack if results elsewhere go their way.

Ranchers, near the bottom, have more reason to be cautious. Their win over Enyimba came at home, and holding Pillars to a draw in Kano would count as a good result for a side looking to climb away from trouble.

Verdict

Pillars have lost only once all season, so Ranchers will find goals hard to come by in Kano. A single goal fits both a home side that rarely loses and a visiting side still learning to win away, and it would keep Pillars in touch with the leaders.