Kadiri Ikhana

Who is Kadiri Ikhana?

Kadiri Ikhana is a Nigerian football coach. He resigned from his position at Kano Pillars on 27 May 2008, citing corruption in the game. He had led Kano Pillars to their first ever league title a day earlier. It concluded his third stint with the squad, as he was their coach for their first premier league season in 1991 and saved them from relegation in 1998.

Ikhana was a member of the Green Eagle squad that won the 1980 African Cup of Nations and represented Nigeria at the 1980 Summer Olympic Games. After retiring from playing, he became the first coach of Maiduguri's El-Kanemi Warriors in 1986. He is also a former coach of BCC Lions, Kwara United F.C., Sunshine Stars F.C., Sharks F.C. and Enyimba F.C., leading the latter to a CAF Champions League title. On August 1, 2008, he was rehired to be the coach of Sharks F.C.

The 2008 season was a tough one. On September 24, Ikhana was accosted by three youths at his hotel in Akure after the Sharks played at Sunshine Stars. They were later captured. On October 12, he went to the hospital however when he was attacked by hooligans after Sharks upset league leading Kaduna United F.C. 1-0 in Kaduna. After almost leaving Sharks after the 2009 Federation Cup final, he returned for the 2009-10 season but went MIA after the first eight games. He was linked to a move to Wikki Tourists F.C. He eventually moved to Niger and was hired as technical consultant to the Niger Football Federation.