Rabiu Ali was the hero of the day with a hat trick as Kano Pillars joined Rangers International at the top with 10 points after Match Day 5 fixtures with a 3-2 win over Akwa United at the Sani Abacha Stadium on Sunday evening. Rangers had climbed to the pole position 24 hours earlier after a 1-0 defeat of hard fighting Wikki Tourists. Godwin Aguda netted the only goal of that match at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium reports www.nigeriasoccernet.com
Akwa United recently sent out of the CAF Confederation Cup in a penalty shootout with a Congolese side began brightly in Kano, taking the lead after 10 minutes through Michael Ibe Okoro but the lead was short-lived as Rabiu Ali waited just four minutes to erase the lead and for the first of what would be an eventual hat trick.