Abd’Allah restates commitment to lead Katsina United to NPFL
Usman Shariff Abd’Allah, has confessed that coaching Katsina United has been the most challenging coaching job for him, adding that he would bring back the club to Nigeria Professional Football League.
PERISCOPE NIGERIA reports that Abd’Allah mounted the saddle as Head Coach of Katsina United, recently.
According to the versatile gaffer, the varied experience he has acquired in that short while, has been very rewarding.
He also believes he and his team, aka Changi Boys are firmly on course to fulfilling their aspirations, of which returning the club to the Nigerian Football Premier League (NPFL) via the the upcoming Nigeria National League (NNL) Super 8 Play-offs in Asaba, Delta State is topmost.
Abd’Allah also wants to gift himself an early present, ahead of his 48 years birthday anniversary, on the 16th of July, 2023, by steering his team to picking a promotion ticket, at the NNL promotional play-offs, which starts on Saturday, in Asaba.
“This is a task that we must accomplish as a group. My boys know this, we are focussed on achieving this goal; and makes no pretenses about it,” he said.
While welcoming his side’s hard fought victory over arch-rivals, Kano Pillars at the Naija Super 8 North-West play-off in Eket, on Sunday; Abd’Allah insists it does not end there, as the victory has only reinforced the belief we already had, that we can pick one of the two tickets on offer, from the NNL northern conference. There is no doubt that we are in a better spirit as a team, and are shaping-up very well.
The gaffer, who is also one of the Super Eagles Assistant Coaches, said he ventured into coaching, at the age of 33, and just after an enterprising football playing career. His starting point was an Under-15 sides in France; Frontignan, and FC Set.
Thereafter, he returned to Nigeria and his first two jobs were arguably with the two top clubs in the NPFL, Kano Pillars and Enyimba of Aba.
First, he pitted his tent with Kano Pillars from where he joined Enyimba FC, before he joined Wikki Tourists of Bauchi, and later Katsina United, in the Nigeria National league, though!
Usman Abd’Allah said as soon as he quit playing active football, he started to equip himself for coaching, and it was not long, before he got his UEFA Pro Licence badge, the biggest coaching qualification he has till date, which ranks him as a true professional coach.
He had earlier acquired the UEFA A, B and C Licences before attaining the Pro height.
He said, “In my quest for a better and fulfilling coaching career, I also sought other experiences, during which I enriched my knowledge by obtaining the Asian Preliminary and C Licenses, as well.”
The versatile tactician told NNL Media that he took the long journey to get all the professional training he could get in Europe and Asia, because his thirst for knowledge is insatiable, and even at present, he tries to learn everyday, and from his peers and even his players, and would not stop learning.
Working under Jose Peseiro in the Super Eagles setup, has also been beneficial to him, he added; and he loves do always is to put his personal best, and just trust Allah for everything.
“I got plenty offers before joining Katsina United. Having earlier been at three NPFL sides, I preferred coaching in the NNL, because it comes with entirely new experience for me. It’s a tougher league,” he enthused.
His journey man nature has granted him the ability to eloquently speak French, Arabic, a little Igbo, and he is proficient in English and his mother tongue, Hausa language.
As a player, Usman Abd’Allah played in the Bundesliga, first for Bayern Leverkusen in 1991, from where he moved to Vfl Bochum and later to the Saudi Pro-League where he played for Al-Arabic.
He later proceeded to South Asia, and played in Malaysian and Singaporean leagues. but he again left South Asia after 11 years, and returned to France, where he joined FC R.C.B Bollene, before moving to Set FC, a club he coached at his early days as a gaffer.
