NGR - Union Bank lands in Kano confront, AHIP, Pillars

KANO (Premier League) - Union Bank basketball club of Lagos is set to round off its road games to the Savannah Conference of the Nigeria Premier League with games against Adolescent Health & Information Programme, AHIP basketball club Saturday (today) and Kano Pillars basketball club Sunday.

Both matches are billed for the Sports Hall of the Sani Abacha Stadium, Kofa Mata, in the ancient city of Kano promises to live up to its billing as Union Bank technical adviser, Ayinla Johnson and Pillars coach Sani Ahmed talks tough.

Union Bank who defeated Tapgun Rockets basketball club of Jos in one of it road game leaving three to the League and Technical Committee (Vs Niger Potters, Vs Plateau Peaks and Vs Bauchi Net) to decide whether they will be awarded the points or forfeit those games files out against youthful AHIP side in the hot Kano weather today.

Though pundits will rightly give it to the bankers against a Harry Ezenibe propelled AHIP side going by the pedigree of both sides but one must also be mindful of the fact that basketball is a game of five players from either side on the court at a given time, while the AHIP side will bank on home support to rattle the bankers, the Ayinla Johnson and Gboyega Vidal tutored Union Bank will bank on its legion of experience players to steal victory at the end of hostility.

And against Pillars on Sunday at same venue, Coach Johnson says his team will pay the host back in its own coin having lost to the Coach Sani Ahmed tutored side in Lagos (71-67points) when the former came for their road game.

Speaking in an exclusive telephone chat with our correspondent the former Nigeria International believed his side (Union Bank) have overcome the shortcoming in the team which characterized in some painful loses.

But Pillars coach has a word for the star-studded bankers that they should be prepared for another defeat.

“We will repeat what we achieve in Lagos and so Union Bank should forget talking about being in Kano to beat us, concluded Coach Ahmed.

By Olusegun Ikuesan
FIBA