Alhaji Idris Abdullahi Musa, popularly known as Thuraya is the Chairman of Kwara State Football Association. He spoke to sportsbash.com.ng on the challenges being faced by Kwara teams in the league, on the way forward.

Q: Kwara United fought to escape relegation again. What are the lessons learnt, and what are the challenges?

I want to start by thanking Kwara Governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for sustaining support to the team. He brought us to this level, because he created this platform, and has been supporting the team tremendously.

Asides from late George Agbazika Innih, there is no other Governor that has impacted so much on sports development than Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq; in infrastructural development and construction, human capital development through sports, as well as youth empowerment.

Sincerely speaking, I want to be frank with you, going by history, for a very long time, I have not seen a management that has been able to keep Kwara United afloat in the top flight for as long as five seasons. For the past five years, we have not been relegated. That’s a great achievement, taking into consideration the challenges faced by the team all along.

If you look at the table very well, Kwara United finished on 51 points, and even those that are above the team, like Kano Pillars, Abia Warriors, Sunshine Stars, Bendel Insurance, Rivers United and Katsina United are just between one and four points apart. However, there are rooms for improvement.

In consideration of the numerous challenges faced by the club this season, you will agree with me that escaping relegation is an achievement for Kwara United. For the past five years, for the first time ever, Kwara United has not gone on relegation.

If you look at the beginning of this Board, they started by ending at fourth position, in 2020/2021 season. Intact, they finished third, but for the Rivers United and Jigawa Golden Stars protest that pushed them to the fourth position. The following season, they finished in fourth position, and were given the chance to represent Nigeria in the CAF Confederation Cup because the NFF was yet to conclude the Federation Cup, which would have produced a qualifier, because of time. Kwara United returned to continental competition after 15 years.

For me, this management tried within its capacity, and like I said, they will keep improving.

Q: Part of the mandate of the FA is to ensure that all the teams in the state enjoy the wherewithal to operate and develop football in accordance with the laid down rules. Do you think the FA has been playing the required roles?

If you observe, the relationship between the FA and the league clubs have been cordial. We let them know their rights and limitations, and we have all been respecting that agreement. It’s only when you have such an agreement in place, and every team keeps its own part of the bargain that we can achieve, and there will be no crisis.

We, as FA are the custodians of football in the state, and we must be on the same page with all the clubs in terms of participation in the league and other competitions.

We have been doing our own best as FA, to give the necessary logistics support, and facilitating the enabling environment to develop the game.

Q: Just like you said that you monitor all clubs, what would you say about ABS FC relegation, and what is your advice?

FA has a limit to the issue of running clubs. We don’t run clubs, and we don’t assist in running clubs. Our responsibility is to organize grassroots competitions, control football development and also supervise its promotion in line with laid down rules.

Running of club is strictly for the management of those clubs, but on our part as FA, all necessary support that we can give in line with the rules, we are doing it. We are trying to manage the politics and environmental factors that are affecting our clubs. But most of our teams here in Kwara are failing because of these environmental factors. That’s why I am appealing to all football stakeholders to see how we support our teams, because we don’t have any other team. They also need to do so because of our youths.

In Kwara state, we are lucky to have teams in different leagues. We have female teams, we have all cadres of NLO teams, and we have NNL and NPFL. Kwara is one of the states that have all, but we seem to be mismanaging that opportunity.

On the issue of the relegation of ABS FC, it’s all about football. When you participate in any competition, its either you fail, pass, or are in-between. As FA is concerned, we have done everything to create an enabling atmosphere, but some factors are drawing us back.

We will also want to suggest that, because of lack of financial strength of some of our clubs, especially with most of them privately owned, we are trying to see if government will be able to assist them in one way or the other, because that’s the normal procedure.

Even if it’s not money, maybe other materials and kits, not because they are your teams, but because they are contributing to the growth of the state through the engagement of the youths. They keep them away from social vices.

On our own, we are trying to get government’s approval to construct three pitches at the stadium. We have gotten sponsors already. We construct the pitches and put lights, to encourage night football.

Q: In the 2022/2023 season, all league clubs in the state, including Kwara United played away from home, due to the re-grassing of the pitch of the Main-Bowl of the Kwara State Stadium Complex. This season, the teams played at home and still struggled. What’s your personal assessment of the situation?

I don’t want us to use the ground as an excuse. And this is because, teams like Lobi Stars and Niger Tornadoes played outside their bases, not this season alone. Niger Tornadoes has been playing in Kaduna for the past three or four seasons, and they are performing.

The only thing I would say was an excuse for Kwara United the last time they played all-round away matches was because it was an Abridged League. An Abridged League is like a penalty. Nobody can predict the final outcome. That was what really affected them.

Playing at home sometimes too, has its own environmental factors, and these factors are what are affecting Kwara United. A lot of people will put blames the venue, put blames on the management and other things, but the real reasons is environmental factors. And one of it was that every single stakeholder wants to be Chairman of Kwara United. Every single stakeholder in the state wants the money in Kwara United to be shared among themselves, forgetting that the money is meant to run the affairs of the club. That’s the greatest challenge facing the club.

It’s good that this government adopted the Kwara United Management Law, which states a four years renewable term for the management of the team. Kumbi Titiloye spent first four years which ended last year, and it was renewed. I then wonder why someone will go and sit down somewhere looking for the failure of the team at all cost so that the government and people will be discrediting the management. It’s not good enough. We have never had anything that is good enough. The only thing is, we must allow those that are there now to finish their tenure, so that we will not be having more problems.

Before now, it used to be removal of management at will, and that was why the team wasn’t stable, and it’s always been relegated. With a measure of continuity, we are beginning to get it right.

For those sitting in the corners of their houses and making noise, blaming this and that, what are we supposed to do? As a stakeholder, you are not supposed to destroy the team, that brand that is giving the state, your state footballing identity and recognition. You are supposed to contribute your own quota to its developmental, whichever divide you belong, in terms of advice and suggestions.

Going by history, Kwara United has never won the league or the Federation Cup because; our attitudes and behaviors are not progressive. We always look at the team from the angle of those running it, and not the team itself, and that’s why we always want to run those running it down.

For example, a team like Kano Pillars has seen both good, the bad and the ugly in their existence, yet, every single Kano person will always see the team as theirs. They love the team from the bottom of their hearts, the same thing with Rangers International. But here in Kwara, some people will sit down somewhere and be planning evil for the team and those running it.

Q: Most stakeholders meetings being held in the cases of Kwara United are not genuinely held to help the team, but to castigate some people. As the FA Chairman, what should be the way forward?

Yes, it’s on record that when such meetings are held, it’s to castigate and blame some people. The truth is, the Governor knows exactly what he is doing. We need to thank him specially for supporting the team. You cannot tell someone where the roof of his house is leaking except he himself tells you. Stakeholders meeting, yes, because the club is being run with tax payers’ money, but the intentions of the gathering must be genuine.

On the other hand, the same stakeholders can as well, submit their contributions to the team in terms of advice and suggestions. We cannot get it right under those circumstances when even those that don’t know anything about football will come and be making noise. No. And when you call just anyhow stakeholders, you are systematically giving the responsibility of the team to others, this is because, Kwara United is an entity that has its own definite management.

In a normal situation, it’s even the management that’s supposed to initiate stakeholders meeting, and also invite those they feel can add value to whatever is at stake to discuss. Someone shouldn’t just wait behind and be looking for somebody’s fault before he talks.

Q: Before now, we used to have constant crowd troubles, some of which resulted in the team been relegated. But for the past five years now, we have no record of such ugly incidences. What’s the magic?

It’s all about professionalism. It’s professionalism. For you to know your job outline and also do it the way it should be done, it’s all about professionalism. We are not doing any magic. The rules are clear in football. When you go by the rules, everything goes smoothly, except if you want to do street football that has no rules, or follow motor park systems.

We have technical areas, where troubles normally start, and we know those that are supposed to be there. When you control the crowd, you get it right. At this point, I will want to commend the Kwara State Police command and other security agencies for their support, sacrifice, resilience and cooperation. They are wonderful.

Q: Kwara FA is the first state that introduced child mascot during league matches. It adds beauty to the system. Are you sustaining the tradition?

We are the first, yes, that’s the truth. Mascot is not supposed to be something that should be celebrated because it’s part of the game. As we came, we were looking at how we bring professionalism into the system. And we learn from what we see from those who are already advanced on the issue of football development, and try as much as possible to put them into use. It’s not only the issue of Mascot. If you look at the stadium, you will find stewards trying to be part of security and identifying those that are there to make trouble. The Nigeria Football Federation and the league organizers frown at how teams put balls away especially when they are at advantage during matches. But for us, we provided 15 balls during matches, instead of eight. 10 are kept at strategic places round the pitch, and five are with the Ball Boys, to ensure there is no shortage of balls at crucial moments. There are lots of other things we have put in place, and we keep improving.

Q: Did the relationship with clubs and the FA helped in checking troubles at the Stadium during matches?

Yes, it has. It’s only that cordiality that can make us achieve, with the support and cooperation of the Police and other security agencies. And beyond that, it extends to other parts of the system. For example, the issue of officiating officials is strictly the responsibility of the FA. If you go to other states, you see officials been transported in club’s branded buses, which isn’t proper. In Kwara state, it’s the FA that does that. It’s our responsibility.

Q: You midwifed the construction of the Kwara Stadium Main-Bowl re-grassing, and also took up the maintenance. At a point, the issue of maintenance became an issue. What’s the latest on this sir?

If you remember vividly, it’s the FA, as part of its responsibilities, to look for sponsors and partners for our activities, and we succeeded in getting one to help us convert the artificial pitch to grass pitch, as a way of complementing the efforts of the government. The rubber pitch has a long term effect on players, and it’s also a way of attracting international matches.

And normally, anywhere you give such a support, as long as revenue is going to be generated on that pitch, part of the revenue should be used to maintain the pitch. We are employing our expertise to maintain the grass because we want our teams to play here. About a month and half ago, 10 NLO clubs had their play-off here. The competition was initially moved to Ogbomosho but we succeeded in bringing it back here. With the way the pitch is, NFF organized matches will hold here just like we had some Federation Cup matches scheduled for this place. Osun United and Ekiti United at a point adopted Ilorin as their home grounds, because of the good pitch. We are the ones that are maintaining the pitch, and somebody is seated somewhere collecting revenue on the pitch and not contributing a dime towards its maintenance. And we are putting in money and expertise to fix it.

It’s Kwara United that is spending the money for the maintenance. We decided to leave for that reason. And the only thing that will bring us back to it is, if we sit down and agree that certain amount of money will be kept for maintaining it from the revenue it is generating. It’s a business. The pitch is capable of funding its maintenance.

Kwara United is feeling the heat of spending money to maintain it, and equally, pay again to use it. It’s affecting their finances, but what option do they have with such as arrangement? They have no option than to do just that. It’s more expensive playing out of the state. It’s painful to play out of their traditional venue, because their fans will not be able to watch and cheer them.

Q: Personally, how would you rate the management of Kwara United?

It’s fair. This is because, for the first time in the history of the club, they have gone five years without been relegated. For those who knows the history of the club, it’s not always like this. That’s unprecedented. They have many things to celebrate, even though I am not supposed to be saying it. We are watching from the sidelines.

Q: How would you assess the contributions of the fans, especially this season?

The fans have done extra-ordinarily well. The support was tremendous, and it assisted in raising the confidence level of the team in difficult situations. Again, they have not given the team any trouble so far. There are venues where there were plenty of troubles and chaos. And since I assumed office as the Chairman of the FA, we have successfully taken care of that side. The fans here are doing what they are supposed to do, and that’s also because we kept sensitizing them from time to time. Any time Kwara United wins, you can see and feel the joy in them. Any day they lose or draw, you see it in their faces.

Q: According to the Chairman, Kumbi Titiloye, Kwara United will commence early preparation for next season. What other advice do you have for the team?

He has said it all. Early preparation is key. They need to learn from the past. The players need to get used to the grass pitch. Again, Kwarans need to support their team from their hearts. For Kwara United, the fans should know that they have no other team except Kwara United. They don’t have option not to support the team, irrespective of who and who are in charge. It’s a Kwara project and property, not for any individual.