Ibrahim Musa upbeat about Kano Pillars' title chances

Kano Pillars coach Ibrahim Musa says he is not discouraged in the quest for title success this season after their 2-0 loss to Yobe Desert Stars at the August 27 Stadium.

Strikes from Babatunde Solomon and Abdulmalik Muhammad for the hosts in either half brought the Sai Masu Gida's eight-match unbeaten run to an end.

And the gaffer is unhappy with their first defeat since 2-1 loss at Rivers United on January 21, 2018 - a setback that he has attributed to varying factors.

"I am disappointed we lost because I did not expect a result like this against Yobe Desert Stars," Ibrahim told Goal.

"It was unfortunate that our unbeaten run came to an end and sad how the match turned out for us but that is football. We must accept the defeat and forge ahead.

"Yobe Desert played well and gave us a big surprise but I think we had our chances but didn't take them and they took their own.

"We have learned some lessons from the match, though we could not play well due to the bad pitch. I'm not trying to give any excuse but I will appeal they improve the condition of the pitch.

"We also lost the services of our leading goal scorer Junior Lokosa who missed the match due to stomach upset and our defender Emmanuel Anyanwu who was injured against Go Round."

Ahead of Sunday's showdown with Niger Tornadoes, Ibrahim is expecting a return to winning ways at the expense of their visitors at the Sani Abacha Stadium.

"We have to put the loss to Yobe behind us and getting set for our next match against Niger Tornadoes. It is important we get back to winning again and we must prepare well to win," he continued.

"I have great confidence in my players and I believe we will turn things around in our next game.

"I am not discouraged by the defeat but we are remaining focused on winning the title this season."