El Kanemi build structure, not players-Zubair

Head coach of El Kanemi Warriors, Aliyu Zubair, says the club’s philosophy revolves around building structure and not players.

The Flying Eagles handler, who recently guided the team to win the 2024 WAFU Zone B U-20 Championship in Lome, Togo, made this declaration while relishing El Kanmeni’s bright start to the NPFL 2024/25 season, where they are unbeaten in 10 matches.

The gaffer emphasised that consistently building a strong team structure rather than individual player development has been instrumental in maintaining the team’s performance level, adding that he is fully focused on building a robust, disciplined team framework where both regular starters and bench players receive the same training intensity and tactical preparation.

This, he believes, is the key to El-Kanemi Warriors being the only unbeaten team after 10 games this season, despite his recent absence due to WAFU B National duties.

“We don’t build players; we build structure,” Zubair said at the Kwara SWAN Sports Hard Talk.

He harped on the ideal age for developing coachable players, emphasising the potential of young players aged 15–22.

Zubair praised Kwara United as a prime example of a club investing in youth and urged fans to be patient with the team, as young players represent the future of the club and the league.

He concluded by expressing gratitude to his mentors, Kadir Ikhana, Abdul Maikaba, John Obuh, and Tunde Sanni, whose guidance has shaped his coaching philosophy and approach, contributing to his career success.

El Kanemi defeated Katsina United 1-0 on Sunday in Maiduguri, a win that moved them up from fifth to fourth on the log with 16 points, five points adrift of leaders Remo Stars and second-placed Rivers United, while Enyimba are third with 18 points.