Kwara United have sacked head coach Tunde Sanni following a string of poor results in both the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) and the CAF Confederation Cup.
The decision came after the Harmony Boys suffered a 1–0 home defeat to Abia Warriors in Ilorin on Sunday, just days after being eliminated from the Confederation Cup on a 5–3 aggregate by Ghanaian side Asante Kotoko.
Confirming the development, club chairman Kumbi Titiloye announced that Sanni had been directed to step aside as Technical Adviser, with his assistant Ashifat Suleiman taking over in an interim capacity.
“Following the disappointing home loss, Coach Tunde Sanni has been asked to step aside as Technical Adviser,” the club said in an official statement.
“Assistant Coach Ashifat Suleiman will take charge of the team with immediate effect.”
Titiloye explained that the decision followed a comprehensive review of the team’s performance, which fell short of management expectations despite a promising start to the season.
Sanni, visibly disappointed after Sunday’s defeat, had vowed that the team would bounce back, though his comments came too late to change the club’s stance.
During the Abia Warriors clash, Kwara United dominated possession but were undone by Emeka Obioma’s 48th-minute penalty, following a handball in the box. The result further extended their poor domestic run.
Their continental campaign had also ended in disappointment, as a 1–0 second-leg loss to Asante Kotoko in Abeokuta sealed their early exit, following a 4–3 defeat in Accra.
Analysts at ACLSports attributed Kwara United’s struggles to tactical inconsistencies and poor preparation, citing disorganisation in both attack and defence. Sanni was also criticised for benching in-form forward Shola Abdulraheem, who had scored in the first leg in Accra.
With Sanni’s dismissal confirmed, Suleiman’s immediate challenge will be to steady the ship ahead of the team’s rescheduled NPFL Matchday 6 fixture against Kano Pillars on Wednesday.
Kwara United currently occupy 10th place in the league standings and will be hoping that the change in leadership sparks a turnaround in their campaign.
