After five seasons under the reings of Kumbi Titiloye as the Chairman, Kwara United has had unbroken campaigns in the top flight, amidst numerous environmental factors, and avoidable challenges.

Been able to sustained the team in the top flight for five years running will be absolutely appreciated with the careful study of events before now, especially the club’s history. The team has wandered through thick and thin, between certainty and uncertainty, ups and downs, all of which characterises the features in and around the club.

Going down memory lane, the club has its history traced to many factors that are purely environmental. Its a traditional entity. It has a rich history linked to the very existence of the state. And that was why, the history is being traced to Kwara Water Corporation.

From Kwara Water Corporation Football Club, the team has gone through various metamorphosis; Kwara Utility Bombers of Ilorin and later, Kwara Bombers Football Club, until the 15th Governor of the state, Col. Peter A. M. Ogar changed the narrative, bought a Division Two slot and named it Kwara United Football Club.

In 1997, that was after 30 years of the creation of the state, and about 17 years of the Nigeria Football league, a Kwara team stepped out for the first time in the Pro-League Division One, through the supportive efforts of Colonel Ogar.

The new team, named Kwara United, a total deviation from the previous reigns was a child of desperation, given birth to out of frustration, with the failure of its forebear, Kwara Bombers, which was then relegated to Division Three.

Kwara United brought cheers to Kwarans. It came into being following a Memorandum of Understanding signed between Kwara State and Exide Batteries Limited on January 17, 1997. That elevation collided with the 30th anniversary of the state. The team gained promotion to the elite league in the 1997/1998 season.

The state’s ownership of league club actually had its roots in 1974, with the Kwara Water Corporation Football Club. It was supposed to be an in-house club for the staffers of the establishment. The scope was later opened, and by 1979, the club qualified for the National League Division Two. That same year, the team got to the quarter-final stage of the Challenge Cup, now known as President Federation Cup competition.

In 1985, due to the change of the parent Corporation to Kwara Utility Board, the club changed its name to Kwara Utility Bombers of Ilorin. With the disengagement of the parent Corporation from financing the club in 1990, the club changed its name to Kwara Bombers Football Club.

Kwara no doubt is one of the early sports-conscious states, with strong biase for football. The state was one of the 12 pioneer states created on May 27, 1967, by the government of General Yakubu Gowon.

Initially named West Central State, Kwara State has rich history of sports development and promotion, which however, bellies the performance of the state’s club, Kwara United Football Club since its creation.

The team has never won any major silverware, and can only boast of having the opportunity of representing the country three times in the continental competition, and once in the Regional Western competition.

The fact that it’s a traditional team, going by the way it was founded and being supported, the club is being heavily affected by environmental behaviours and factors that has continued to determine everything in and around it, more negatively, than positively.

The support for the club is obviously deeply rooted, as being displayed by any government that comes in the state. The love for the club has therefore, continued to rear numerous negativities. Everybody wants to be part of the team. Every Tom, Dick and Harry wants to be Chairman even when the knowledge is lacking. This, of course, can be traced to the unique political system in the state.

The unique political system is encouraging inter and intra rivalries, and various blocs have been formed, with the opposing group always believing that if the ruling team did not fail, they wouldn’t have the basis to seek for their time to reign.

With this, the team has gone on relegation on several ocassions, and the development had also ocassioned several managements removed and another installed.

But since 2019, when the current Governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq took over the mantle of leadership in the state, he seems to have made the right choice in the selection of Kumbi Titiloye as Chairman. Five years down the line, the team has remained in the elite league without been relegated, against all odds and threatening challenges.

The potentials are there for Kwara United to improve and win laurels, but we must leave sentiment, gossiping and backbiting behind and work together, and believing the fact that the club belongs to the state, and not any individual. Those jixing the team must stop doing so.

If since 1974 to date, the team has not won any major silverware, we all have ourselves to blame, not outsiders. We are all guilty of the non-performance because we fail to put our acts together. We are not looking at the team, but individuals. We are not thinking about the team but what we stand to gain from it.

If since 1974, we are still struggling to win the league and the President Federation Cup, then, we wll blame the so called stakeholders for not holding the stakes the way it should be held. We will be seen to be writing history the wrong way, and the coming generations will also view it the wrong way.

For those who believed that the appointment of Titiloye in 2019 was wrong, the fact that the Governor renewed his appointment after spending the first four years should re-align with government’s believe in his ability to turn things around. And only our support can make that huge difference. There should also be no basis for institutional rivalry. All entities belong to the same government.

Again, that he has broken that jinx of sustaining the team in the elite league, qualifying for the CAF Confederation Cup, and breaking a 15 years jinx in doing so, and also breaking numerous grounds in terms of results and awareness shows we are on the right path. The balance that we need to compete the whole is the disposition of me and you towards the team. We must all support with our whole heart. This is our state, and we must resolve to make it great. No outsider can do it for us.

Kumbi is paying the price of breaking numerous jinx in and around the team. Since his reign, he has struck with indigenous coaches, and has given home boys enough space to flower and flourish with the team.

He started with Coach Abdullahi Biffo, who spent three years, before introducing a stop-gap coach, Coach Abdulazeez Audu, who spent a quarter and a half season before he was replaced with the Magaji of Odo-Okun and former ABS Ilorin FC and Sunshine Stars gaffer, Coach Kabir Suleiman Dogo. Dogo is being assisted by another home coach and former Captain of the team, who is presently the Chairman of Kwara State chapter of the Nigeria Football Coaches Association (NFCA), Coach Tunde Sanni.

We shouldn’t have any excuse not to support our coaches. They are our own, our brothers. If Dogo could get tremendous support in all the other places he has worked, he is supposed to get more that enough support here. Same for Coach Tunde Sanni, who has also worked in both Imo, Kaduna and Abia states.

As Kwara United resumes on Monday July 15, 2024, let our attitudes towards the team change for better.

The last two seasons wasn’t encouraging at all. If there are excuses for the 2022/2023 season because we played all-round away matches, what then can we say of the 2023/2024 season when the team played in front of its fans and supporters?

We can do better, and we should begin to think of doing better. With everybody’s support, we can break more and more jinx. It’s breakable. So that one day, we can boast of being part of history, positive history.