Offor’s appointment came on the heels of Abdul Maikaba’s resignation as manager of the Kano-based club.

However, just 19 days into his tenure, the club announced the termination of Offor’s contract based on a mutual agreement between the coach and the club.

A statement from the club reads: “Kano Pillars Football Club announces the mutual termination of the contract with its Technical Adviser, Paul Offor. The decision was made in good faith and with mutual consent, underscoring a shared understanding between both parties.”

The announcement was made by the Chairman of Kano Pillars FC, Alhaji Ali Muhammad Umar, through the club’s Media Directorate. Paul Offor, who joined the club under the previous board, which was dissolved by the state government after the expiration of their interim period, was on a one-year contract.

Following Offor’s departure, the Sai Masu Gida are now eyeing the appointment of a new technical adviser to guide the team for the upcoming season.

“As Kano Pillars FC looks forward, the club is set to appoint a new Technical Adviser to steer the team in the upcoming 2024/25 Nigeria Premier Football League season.” Says the statement.

The termination of Offor’s contract after just 19 days has come as a shock to many Nigerians and is believed to be the result of a new management takeover, prompting a restructuring of the team.

Offor, a UEFA License C holder, previously led Sporting Lagos to NPFL promotion within one year and secured the club’s first-ever trophy in the Naija Super 8.

The Broad City defender, loaned to Sporting Lagos Academy, caught the eye of many football fans with his powerful throw-ins and defensive skills during the Lagosians’ campaign in Sweden.

Soccernet.ng understands that Norwegian club Tromso Idrettslag and Swedish club Hammarby IF have set their sights on the Nigerian youngster, hoping to sign a contract with him as soon as he turns 18.

During the Gothia Cup semi-final between Beyond Limits and Sporting Lagos, Akomolede single-handedly assisted three goals with his javelin-like throw-ins, setting up Sporting for a 5-4 victory against their compatriots.

These impressive skills have been likened to those of Rory Delap, whose powerful throw-ins were renowned as some of the longest and most formidable in football.

The throw-in of former Republic of Ireland international was legendary as it disrupts defenses and makes possible goal assists for his team.

Akomolede’s impressive abilities extend beyond his powerful throw-ins; his defensive prowess, composure, and knack for producing assists also set him apart.

Soccernet.ng reports that instead of returning to Nigeria for the Value Jet Cup tournament with his teammates, Akomolede has stayed back in Sweden for transfer talks.

The senior team of Sporting Lagos got relegated from the Nigeria Premier Football League last season, but they have had cause to celebrate.

The Sporting Lagos Academy took part in a the international Gothia Cup involving Academies from across the world. It was their first appearance at the competition since it started in 1975.

The young Sporting Lagos lads were brilliant throughout the course of the tournament. In fact, before the semi-final against Beyond Limits, they had not conceded in the tournament. However, Beyond Limits stopped that run, as they put four past Sporting Lagos. Still, that was not enough to deny Sporting Lagos, as they won the game 5-4.

They then proceeded to the final on Sunday, where they took on Japan-based side FC Tokyo. Unfortunately for FC Tokyo, they were no match for the boys from Lagos.

Sporting Lagos took the lead via Yusuf Abdullahi in the 9th minute. Then Babatunde Akomolede extended their lead in the 19th minute. The Lagos-based side took their lead into the break, but they did not take their feet off the pedal.

They scored twice again in the second half to seal their status as champions of the B17E category of the Gothia Cup.

Earlier, Vincent Enyeama’s son signed a professional contract with LOSC Lille, following in his father’s footsteps as a key player for the French Ligue 1 side.

Now, another Nigerian goalkeeper, who played alongside Enyeama for the Super Eagles, has passed the baton to his son, who is impressing on the international stage.

In a quarter-final match in Sweden, Beyond Limit faced Ghana’s Right to Dream. The game ended in a 1-1 draw after 90 minutes, and Beyond Limit triumphed 8-7 in the penalty shootout to secure their place in the semi-finals. Meanwhile, Sporting Lagos defeated Cote d’Ivoire’s ASEC 4-3 in another exciting quarter-final clash.

https://Twitter.com/slfcacademy/status/1813975379658592388?s=46&t=b9FUBUNstw3lkK85djbEwA

The two Nigerian teams, Beyond Limit and Sporting Lagos, will now face off in the semi-finals of the 2024 Gothia Cup today. The match will take place at the SKF Arena, kicking off at 4:20 pm.

In the other semi-final, Swedish club IF Brommapojkarna, who defeated TikiTaka Nigeria in the quarter-finals, will compete against Japan’s Tokyo FC.

The winners of these semi-final matchups will advance to the final, setting the stage for a thrilling conclusion to the tournament.

The 35-year-old last worked with Sporting Lagos, where he was fired in April after a series of poor results at the club. The noisy Lagosians eventually relegated from the Nigerian top-flight.

Kano Pillars ended last season in the bottom half of the NPFL and were planning to restrategize after a campaign that ended in disappointment for a club of that size.

As earlier reported by Soccernet.ng, Rabiu Aliu’s side appointed Coach Paul Offor on a two-year deal, replacing Abdul Maikaba on the Kano Pillars touchline. The former Kano Pillars coach resigned towards the end of the season, leaving Jangora Ahmed and Ahmed Yaro Yaro Garba to oversee Kano Pillars’ remaining fixtures for the rest of the 2023/2024 NPFL season after Maikaba resigned.

Paul Offor is the new head coach of Kano Pillars

“E dun set” and confirmed

The former Sporting Lagos boss has signed a two years deal. #NPFLTransferWithMike pic.twitter.com/WkMiliiGeu

— MikeThePundit (@Mike_ThePundit) July 12, 2024

According to multiple reports, the Coach’s appointment has been revoked. A member of the club’s media and marketing committee, disclosed in a statement that the state government has dismissed the contract of the former Sporting Lagos head coach.

Following Coach Paul’s appointment, the Kano State Ministry of Youth and Sports dissolved the Kano Pillars Management Board, rendering his signature void, as the club is owned by the government.

The jury is out!

Kano State Commissioner for Youths and Sports has dismissed the appointment of Paul Offor as the coach of Kano Pillars!

Illuminator#NPFL25#NPFLTransfer https://t.co/QYkBla8JW5 pic.twitter.com/CdGRf5qfiQ

— #TheSportsIlluminator (@RayToluAyo) July 14, 2024

“Kano State Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Mustapha Rabiu Kwankwaso, has dismissed the appointment of Paul Offor as the new coach of Kano Pillars. The contracting and unveiling of Paul Offor were carried out without proper dealings with the relevant arms of government that were responsible for the supervision of the activities of the club,” the statement read.

Coach Paul led Sporting Lagos to their maiden trophy triumph, winning the Naija Super 8 final against Remo Stars.

The 26-year-old forward was one of the players who lit the heart of the fans of the Noisy Lagosians in their debut Nigeria Professional League spell.

Odibo missed several games due to injuries but was able to feature in 26 league games for Sporting Lagos, scoring one goal and providing four assists.

The former Ikorodu City man is well-known for his explosive pace and will continue his footballing career abroad with Rwandan side, Armée Patriotique RFC, following Sporting Lagos’ relegation from the Nigerian top-flight.

EXCL: Godwin Odibo set to join Rwandan champions, APR FC of Rwanda

– Understand the winger has agreed to the move and COULD travel in the next 72hrs to conclude all formalities.

– Odibo leaves Sporting Lagos after the club got relegated.

– APR FC will play in the CAF… pic.twitter.com/y8qEbqEKV0

— MikeThePundit (@Mike_ThePundit) July 14, 2024

Odibo joins Pashcal Durugbor and Adekunle Adeleke to walk through the door at Sporting Lagos, leaving Abdullahi Biffo with even more problems as the team continues their journey in the Nigerian National League last season.

Odibo started his footballing career in the Nigerian local league with Ikorodu City FC. He had a brief stint with Belgian Pro League side, Oud-Heverlee Leuven. He returned to the NPFL a few years back, playing for Remo Stars before moving to Sporting Lagos last summer.

Armée Patriotique are one of the most successful clubs in the Rwandan football league winning twenty-two Rwandan league titles and thirteen Rwandan Cups.

The 35-year-old started as an assistant coach with Warri Wolves before joining Sporting Lagos in 2023. He led them to NPFL promotion under one year in charge and won the club’s first-ever trophy in the Naija Super 8.

Following a series of poor results, Coach Paul, alongside his technical team, was fired by Sporting Lagos. As earlier reported by Soccernet.ng, his recruitment policy, tactical gameplan, player preference, and squad management earned him a bad rapport with the club’s board.

He got linked with Enyimba International, but after further discussions, he signed a two-year deal with former Nigeria Professional League Champions, Kano Pillars.

Paul Offor is the new head coach of Kano Pillars

“E dun set” and confirmed

The former Sporting Lagos boss has signed a two years deal. #NPFLTransferWithMike pic.twitter.com/WkMiliiGeu

— MikeThePundit (@Mike_ThePundit) July 12, 2024

Paul Offor replaces Abdul Maikaba on the Kano Pillars touchline. The former Kano Pillars coach was in charge of Sai Masu Gida last season but resigned towards the end of the season.

Jangora Ahmed and Ahmed Yaro Yaro Garba were assigned to oversee Kano Pillars’ remaining fixtures for the rest of the 2023/2024 NPFL season after Maikaba resigned.

Coach Paul Offor holds a UEFA C license and has had stints with Warri Wolves, CIFAS de Djeffa (Benin Republic) and Sporting Lagos.

Kano Pillars ended last season with 52 points from 38 games, finishing 11th on the league table.

Durugbor joined Sporting Lagos last season, but it was a failed adventure for him. The 24-year-old striker registered only four goals in 17 appearances for the Lagos-based club, as they suffered relegation from the Nigeria Premier Football League last season.

Following the club’s drop to the Nigeria National League, they would definitely lose some of their players, and Paschal is one of those.

This is as Swiss second League side Neuchatel Xamax have announced the signing of the 24-year-old striker.

It is not the first time that the former Sporting Lagos man will be playing outside of Nigeria. He had previous stints in Tunisia, and Sweden before returning to Nigeria later season.

The striker played for Nigeria at the Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations in 2019, and he had one goal in the competition. However, he has not had any other experience with the national team since then.

Xamax currently ply their trade in the second tier of Swiss football. Last season, they failed to gain promotion to the top flight because they finished fourth.

The last time they played in the Swiss top-flight was in the 2019/2020 league season.

The 24-year-old left-footed centre-back moved abroad from Remo Stars in October to join Aarhus Fremad. The club is also owned by a Nigerian – Shola Akinlade, who also owns the newly relegated Nigeran side, Sporting Lagos.

After eight months in Denmark, Olalere recounted his experience in Denmark with Soccernet.ng, highlighting the difference in culture and how tough it has been to adapt to a new environment.

“My first year in Denmark has been so crazy because I’ve been going through a lot. With the weather and food, I had to adapt. It’s My first time playing outside of Nigeria. So I had to be strong,” the former Warri Wolves defender said.

Aarhus Fremad narrowly missed out on promotion to the First Division of the Danish league, finishing a point below FC Roskilde. Speaking on how the team’s season ended, Olalere already meted out his plans with the club for next season, setting his sights on promotion with his club.

“We missed out on promotion, but we should get promoted next season, and we will give everything. We saw how this season went and it should have been much better.”

The second half of our conversation with Oluwasegun Olalere, the Nigerian defender who’s making a name for himself at Aarhus Fremad

Interview by: @Jololade #Soccernet #segunolalere #aarhusfremad pic.twitter.com/TEPVCZHrCf

— Soccernet.ng (@soccernet_ng) June 25, 2024

One of the highs of the young defender in Denmark has been the love he’s received from the fans and teammates likewise, making him feel welcome despite being the only black and non-Danish player at the club.

“Everything is beautiful, they sing my name. The fans have been amazing, and they made me feel at home, they didn’t make me feel like I’m the only black player here. They made it seem like I’ve been here for years and I appreciate everything. I appreciate the love and the warm welcome and I love them so much.”

Quizzed about how it feels to play in a club owned by a Nigerian, Olalere revealed he feels respected at the club, although there is no segregation.

“They respect me, and it feels good. There’s nothing Nigerian really. The club is owned by everyone, the players, and that’s why we give our all.”

Speaking on his relationship with the club’s CEO, Shola Akinlade, the 24-year-old versatile defender was filled with praise.

“When I was about to join the club, he told me to come and enjoy myself. He told me I’m strong and my being at the club is not a mistake. He is a very good man, I love and respect him so much,” the Super Eagles defender concluded.

As Olalere Oluwasegun continues his professional career in Denmark, his drive to lead Aarhus to the top division remains unwavering.

A report circulating in the Nigerian football community reveals that the 25-year-old is set to join a club in Tanzania which has not yet been disclosed by the player himself.

However, Soccernet.ng reached out to the media officer to confirm the story, which revealed that Junior had only told the club he is going for a trial in Tanzania and nothing has been made official.

“I wouldn’t say anything has been made official. He only told us he was going for a trial. I can’t say much on that” he told Soccernet.ng

Junior played a crucial role in Gbenga Ogunbote’s 2023-24 NPFL campaign, which ended on a high note, with just a point separating Shooting Stars from a CAF continental tournament ticket.

However, he could not contribute in the final match against Sporting Lagos, which ended in a 1-0 victory for Shooting Stars, as he missed the game due to his trip to trial at the East African club.

https://twitter.com/shootingsc/status/1804941336912519210?s=46&t=b9FUBUNstw3lkK85djbEwA

If the move becomes official, it would mean that “Agba,” as nicknamed by Shooting Stars fans, will join Super Eagles defender Benjamin Tanimu, who is also playing in the Tanzanian league, having joined from Bendel Insurance.

Tanzania is increasingly attracting Nigerian footballers, evidenced by the recent moves of goalkeeper John Noble and Super Eagles defender Benjamin Tanimu to the league last season.

It is expected that Ayobami will continue his impressive performance for Shooting Stars in the not-yet-disclosed club if the deal eventually materialize.