Former Kano Pillars Striker, Musa Kofar Mata Is Dead

Former Kano Pillars striker, Bello Musa Kofar Mata has been reported dead.

Naija News learnt that the footballer died briefly after battling an undisclosed illness in the wee hours of Wednesday.

The Secretary of Kano Professionals confirmed the player’s departure from mother earth.

Kofar Mata, according to reports, would be laid to rest this morning at his family residence Kofar Mata Quarters, in Kano metropolitan.

The deceased had also played for Heartland and Elkanemi Warriors before the unfortunate incident.

My Football Career – Kofar Mata

The deceased started his professional football career at his home club, Kano, playing for Kano Pillars FC. Months ago, Kofar Mata shared his football journey with Daily Trust, revealing how he played in local competitions before becoming a Nigeria Professional Football legend.

In his narration, the player said he started playing football when he was younger because his father was a footballer too.

Kofar Mata said though his father didn’t get to play on the professional level, he was a talented player in his prime.

“My professional career started in Kano State with an amateur club called Buffalo Football Club. While at Buffalo, I was opportune to be part of the team that played World Inter-Secondary schools competition in France, where I was the highest goal scorer, and the golden boot is still with me.

“I always feel happy whenever I take a look at it. Immediately after we returned from that competition, Kano Pillars football club approached me, and I signed my first professional contract with them,” Kofar Mata told journalists.

He went further to note that he moved from Kano Pillars to Heartland of Owerri and from Heartland FC Ifeanyi Uba, where he spent only one season.

Subsequently, Kofar Mata joined El-Kanemi Warriors of Maiduguri and played for three seasons.

Responding to why he has not played professional football abroad, Kofar Mata said: “Yes, I haven’t played in Europe, but I have been to many European countries for trials. For instance, there was a time when I and a friend of mine who then played for Niger Tornadoes, Solomon Owello were taken by a football agent to Norway, where we trained with a Club called IK Start. In the end, they signed Owello and refused to sign me because they said I was too expensive for them.

“My agent then took me to Holland which is his home country. After training with some clubs in Holland, we proceeded to Belgium. In Belgium, I was still not lucky to get a club. We then went to Australia, where I trained with a club for weeks but couldn’t reach any contractual agreement. From there, we moved to Slovakia. At Slovakia, a lower-division club signed me immediately. Still, after carefully studying the salary they agreed to pay me, I discovered that the salary that I was receiving then at Kano Pillars was far better, and I told them I was not going to play. They had to cancel the contract, so I headed back home,” the deceased had revealed.