Former champions, Kano Pillars, have worked hard enough to be able to retrieve the Ardova Handball League title from Niger United when the league begins on May 13.
Kano Pillars Coach, Solomon Yola, told the media at the weekend that his team has worked on the areas they discovered they needed to improve, adding that barring any external influence, his players will overcome every opposition to win the league.
Kano Pillars ended last season in fourth position and performed so poorly that they lost some games they were expected to win on their way to surrender the title.
But Yola, a former international, said the team has worked on goal-scoring and is psychologically prepared for the first phase of the league, which will hold in Benin, Edo State, from May 13 to 24.
He said: “With the level we are so far in camp, I can say confidently that we are almost ready for the upcoming first phase of the 2024 Ardova Handball Premier League.
“I have told the players that we need to improve more on our goal-scoring rate, as we lost many scoring chances in 2023. We were not impressive last year due to the exit of some of our top players.
“The team utilised the players available and we finished fourth but this time around I want to assure you that we will start the season positively.”
Yola, who is also men’s national team’s assistant coach, urged his club’s supportersto pray for them while encouraging the Kano State government to support their quest for the title this season.
Yola acknowledged that the club has enjoyed adequate moral support from the residents of Kano City, who always visit their training camps to cheer the team.
