By Abdullah Ajibade
Kwara United has officially appointed Ashifat Suleiman as the new head coach for the remainder of the season, with an option for extension at the end of the season.
This comes a few weeks after the former technical adviser, Coach Tunde Sanni was sacked following his side’s 0-1 home defeat against Abịa Warriors in Ilorin. The defeat came after he was issued a three-match ultimatum to turn around the fortunes of the club following a disastrous elimination from the CAF Confederation Cup where they lost the two-leg first preliminary round to Asante Kotoko of Ghana.
Speaking at the unveiling which took place on Wednesday at the club’s office, chairman Kumbi Titiloye, represented by the club’s general manager, Mallam Bashir Badawiy, described the new coach as someone deeply familiar with the club’s structure and philosophy, having worked with the team for several years.
He expressed confidence that the new Technical Adviser’s understanding of the club’s values would serve as his guiding principle moving forward.
Badawiy added that the management has full confidence in Suleiman’s ability to lead the team to success, noting the positive influence he has had in his short time in charge.
He further explained that within the last three games, Suleiman has shown a great sense of belonging and commitment to the players, and that the management is fully behind him as they begin another chapter in the club’s history.
Also speaking about the new challenge, Suleiman expressed gratitude and pledged to work with the technical crew to achieve the club’s objectives. According to him, the target is to retain the Federation Cup and go all out to win the league this season. Earlier this year, the club, led by the former coach, Sanni won the FA Cup this after beating Abakaliki FC on penalties.
The new coachʼs first test comes away to Rangers International in Enugu, with his side currently 10th on the NPFL log after an inconsistent run of three wins, three draws, and three defeats from nine matches.