Kano Pillars boss Ibrahim Musa has downplayed the significance of Super Eagles captain Ahmed Musa’s absence for today’s ” Nigerian El Clasico” clash with record NPFL winners Enyimba, insisting Pillars will cope just fine without their marquee acquisition.

Pillars are unbeaten in four games since Musa’s debut after joining on a short-term deal in May, but the former Leicester man is away with the national team and will miss Enyimba’s visit to the Ahmadu Bello Stadium for Sunday’s weekday 25 blockbuster.

While Musa’s presence has undoubtedly lifted the Pillars team, the joint leaders were already on an excellent run before he joined, with four straight victories before and one draw after his signing was announced.

In all, Pillars are unbeaten in nine games and boss Ibrahim Musa was keen to point that a substantial part of the run was achieved without the Super Eagles captain.

“First of all, I don’t want to put our success to Ahmed Musa. Remember we played nine matches unbeaten, Ahmed Musa played only four. Those five, we won all five of them, home and away, without Ahmed Musa,” the Pillars boss told busybuddiesng.com.

The Pillars boss pointed out that while Musa’s impact on the team and the NPFL as a whole cannot be denied, his team had shown a capacity to perform well regardless, with impressive results that have kept them level with Akwa United at the top of the log.

And he says, his players can keep up their unbeaten streak against Enyimba in the absence of Musa.

“I know Ahmed Musa helped a lot this season with Kano Pillars. When he came he contributed a lot, he motivated the players and even the Nigerian Premier League in general. But without Ahmed Musa, we do better, and with Ahmed Musa, we do better again. So it’s not like when Ahmed Musa is not around you’d say we’re not playing well. It’s not like that.

“We know we miss him because as I told you before, he contributes, he motivates the team. But remember I told you we played five matches without Ahmed Musa and we won all. We won Kwara, we won Heartland, we went to Warri, away we played a draw, we won Wikki away, without Ahmed Musa.”

A win for Pillars could see them claim outright lead in the NPFL, they’re currently behind Akwa United on goals difference with both teams level on 45 points. Enyimba are 7th with 38 points.

The game against Enyimba marks the first of a challenging three-game run that will pit Pillars against Rivers United and Akwa United.