Exclusive: 44-Year-Old Rabiu Ali Not Ready To Retire At Kano Pillars

The oldest player and highest-scoring player in the Nigeria Premier Football League history, Rabiu Ali has confirmed he is not considering saying goodbye to professional football just yet at age 44.

Ali has been in blistering form for Kano Pillars this season and his hard work in the middle of the park combined with his fine scoring talents put him among the best scoring players in the Nigeria top-flight this season.

He has scored eight goals in 10 games so far this term, with four of them coming from free-kicks and he is just a goal behind leading top scorer, Anas Yusuf of Nasarawa United.

Ali is the oldest player in the Nigeria top-flight and he has been playing for Kano Pillars since 2009, scoring in all 14 league seasons he has featured in, including Pillars' brief stint in the second division.

The 44-year-old has no plans to slow down and he is looking to maintain his physical and mental fitness beyond this current campaign.

Rabiu Ali Has No Plans to Retire Yet

When asked about retirement at age 44, Ali told SportsBoom.com: "Not now, I'm yet to decide without injury. I will continue with my football career since I can maintain my mental and physical fitness levels.

"The motivation is that I'm happy with my family, I see them cheering me up together and also the prayers from friends and my fans." 

Ambitious Kano Pillars on the rise

Kano Pillars, in November, made a bold statement of intent after playing four matches without defeat. After defeating Plateau United and Bendel Insurance, they settled for back-to-back 2-2 draws against Heartland and Lobi Stars.

Usman Abdallah's men are positioned eighth in the NPFL table with seven points behind league leaders, Remo Stars.

When quizzed about Kano Pillars' target for the 2024-25 season, Ali disclosed: "We are hoping for the two titles in Nigeria, the NPFL and the President's Federation Cup. We also have the target to secure a slot to qualify for either the CAF Champions League or CAF Confederation Cup for next season."

Ahmed Musa & Shehu Abdullahi's influence

Pillars' campaign for silverware has been boosted with the return of former players, Ahmed Musa and Shehu Abdullahi earlier this season.

The duo have contributed to the team's performance, with Musa bagging three goals already in eight appearances while Abdullahi has been solid with defensive duties.

Musa's return has made Ali give the former Super Eagles captain the armband, a decision the 44-year-old described as a no-brainer.

He said: "The return of Ahmed Musa and Shehu Abdullahi has clearly boosted out team with the positive results we are recording. We are training together as teammates, we guide and motivate the young players and we are cheering one another as teammates."

Next up for Ali and his Kano Pillars teammates, is a league trip to Port Harcourt where they will battle Finidi George's Rivers United for three points on Sunday, December 1.