Nigerian Football
NIGERIA PITCH AWARDS ROLL OUT 2018 NOMINEES
Super Eagles and Super Falcons stars topped the list as Match Makers Consults and its auditing partners, SIAO rolled out 60 possible winners in 20 categories of the sixth edition of the annual awards.
The unveiling was done on Thursday by the organisers at a press conference at Ibis Hotel in Lagos.
Top on the contenders’ list for the main title is the Super Eagles’ lead striker, Odion Ighalo who is expected to have stiff challenge from the duo of English Premiership stars Alex Iwobi of Arsenal, Wilfred Ndidi of Leicester City and Ahmed Musa who previously played for Leicester City before moving o Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia.
The trio will slug it out for the lead prize, The King of the Pitch 2018/2019. Ighalo, the top scorer in the qualifying event for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations and Ahmed Musa, Nigeria’s all-time top scorer at the World Cup are also in contention for the Striker of the Year Award along with Junior Lokosa who was previously with Kano Pillars before moving to Tunisia.
Lokosa is also in contention for the Most Valuable Player (MVP Award in the Nigeria Professional Football League. He will have to outpoll Godwin Aguda of Enugu Rangers and Mfom Udoh who played for Enyimba before moving to Akwa United.
The ladies’ category feature the usual suspects – Asisat Oshoala who moved from China’s Dalian Quanjian to Bacelona; Francisca Ordega previously with Atletic Madrid and Rasheedat Ajibada. The trio are nominated for the Queen of the Pitch Award.
The sixth edition of the Nigeria Pitch Awards is seeing the introduction of the online edition of the Football Journalist of the Year Award. The nominees are: Tobi Adepoju of www.naijafootballplus.com, Kunle Solaja of the www.sportsvillagesquare.com and Samuel Ahamadu of www.goal.com
The full nominations run thus:
Goalkeeper of the Year 2018/19
| Name | Club |
| Ikechukwu Ezenwa | Enyimba International FC/Katsina United |
| Theophilus Afelokhai | Enyimba International F.C. |
| Francis O Uzoho | Deportivo La Coruna/Anorthosis Famagusta |
Defender of the Year 2018/19
| Name | Club |
| Leon Balogun | Brighton & Hove Albion FC |
| William Troost-Ekong | Udinese Calcio FC |
| Kenneth Omeruo | Leganés FC |
Midfielder of the Year 2018/19
| Name | Club |
| Wilfred Ndidi | Leicester City FC |
| Alex Iwobi | Arsenal FC |
| Oghenekaro Etebo | Stoke City FC |
Striker of the Year 2018/19
| Name | Club |
| Junior Lokosa | Kano Pillars |
| Odion Ighalo | Changchun Yatai/Shanghai Shenhua |
| Ahmed Musa | Leicester City FC/Al-Nassr |
MVP in NPFL 2018/19
| Name | Club |
| Godwin Aguda | Enugu Rangers |
| Junior Lokosa | Kano Pillars |
| Mfom Udoh | Enyimba F.C/ Akwa United |
MVP in the NWFL 2018/19
| Name | Club |
| Anam Imo | Nasarawa Amazons |
| Evelyn Nwabuoku | Rivers Angels |
| Rasheedat Ajibade | FC Robo |
Queen of the Pitch 2018/19
| Name | Club |
| Asisat Oshoala | Dalian Quanjian/Barcelona W |
| Francisca Ordega | Atlético Madrid W/Shanghai shengli |
| Rasheedat Ajibade | FC Robo/Avaldsnes IL |
King of the Pitch 2018/19
| Name | Club |
| Odion Ighalo | Changchun Yatai/ Shanghai Shenhua |
| Ahmed Musa | Leicester City FC/Al-Nassr |
| Wilfred Ndidi | Leicester City FC |
Coach of the Year 2018/19
| Name | Club |
| Thomas Dennerby | Super Falcons |
| Gbenga Ogunbote | Enugu Rangers |
| Solomon Ogbeide | Lobi Stars |
Club of the Year 2018/19
| Name | State |
| Akwa United | Akwa Ibom |
| Enugu Rangers | Enugu |
| Lobi Stars | Kogi |
National Team of the Year 2018/19
| Name | Level |
| Super Sand Eagles | Men/Senior |
| Super Falcons | Women/Senior |
| Super Eagles | Men/Senior |
Referee of the Year 2018/19
| Name |
| Ogabor Joseph Odey |
| Adebimpe Quadri |
| Ferdinand Udoh |
Sam Okwaraji Awards 2018/19
| Name | Position |
| Kunle Somane | Chairman, BET9JA |
| Amaju Pinnick | President, NFF |
| Seyi Akinwunmi | 1st Vice President, NFF |
State with the Best Grassroots Football Development Programme 2018/19
| Name |
| Delta State |
| Rivers State |
| Lagos State |
Football Friendly Governor of the Year 2018/19
| Name | State |
| HE Udom Emmanuel | Akwa Ibom |
| HE Nyesom Wike | Rivers |
| HE Ifeanyi Okowa | Delta |
Football Journalist of the Year (Print) 2018/19
| Name | Newspaper |
| Tunde Liadi | The Nation |
| Johnny Edwards | Complete Sport |
| Tana Aiyejina | Punch |
Football Journalist of the Year (Radio) 2018/19
| Name | Radio Station |
| George Iniabasi Essien | Comfort 95.1 FM |
| Tony Bekederemo | Sports Radio 88.9 Brila FM |
| Olawale Adigun | Top Radio 90.9FM |
Football Journalist of the Year (TV) 2018/19
| Name | Radio Station |
| Cecilia Omoregbe | Channels TV |
| Mozez Praiz | Supersport |
| Austin 0kon-Akpan | Channels TV |
Football Journalist of the Year (Online) 2018/19
| Name | Online Medium |
| Tobi Adepoju | naijafootballplus.com |
| Kunle Solaja | sportsvillagesquare.com |
| Samuel Ahmadu | Goal.com |
Corporate Sponsor of Football 2018/19
| Name |
| Coca Cola |
| AITEO Group |
| Nigerian Breweries plc |
Shina Philips, President of the Nigeria Pitch Awards, expressed the gratitude of the organizers and award partners to all sport journalists, the Nigeria Football Federation and SIAO Partners for their support for the awards since 2013.
Mr. Philips stated that organizers were working on a plan to overhaul the organization specifically with a view to reducing the number of categories. ‘We are planning a major reorganization with respect to the number of categories we have. By next edition, we will certainly have fewer categories. We believe this will make it easier for our voters to complete their votes,’ Philips said.
Nneka Eneli, Head of Corporate Services who represented Pastor Ituah Ighodalo, the Managing Partner of SIAO Partners said the shortlist of potential winners was drawn from the votes cast by sport journalists across the country between February and March 2019.
Voting for the 6th edition of the awards took place between 1st February and 1st March 2019. We assure all voters of the Nigeria Pitch Awards that their votes have been adequately captured and the results you will get today are the wishes of all who voted. Let me stress again that the entire process was professionally handled by our team of accountants and auditors without any form of interference from the organizers or sponsors.’ Eneli said.
Nigerian Football
Like what happened to Stores earlier, another Lagos club thrown out of the Nigerian League
Another Lagos club, 1472 FC, has been thrown out of Nigeria’s second-tier league, the Nigeria National League, for failure to honour three matches in the current season.
Crowd-pulling Stationery Stores suffered a similar fate 32 years ago when they were expelled from the Nigeria Professional League.
In a press release on Tuesday, the NFF announced that 1472 FC did not honour three matches during the current season.
The matches were against Abia Comets (Match 9), Dakkada FC (Match 53) and Ijele FC (Match 74).
The NNL relied on the league’s Article 14.11 to expel the club.
In the letter signed by the NNL’s Chief Operating Officer, Danlami Alanana, 1472 FC are also fined the sum of N5 million, with the consequence that the results of all their played matches have been nullified, and those yet to be played are cancelled.
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Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun has extolled the commitment and determination of Remo Stars Foot ball Club on its victory over Niger Tornadoes, describing it as unprecedented feat in the annals of Ogun State.
It would be recalled that the local football team won the first-ever Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) title with a 1-0 victory over Niger Tornadoes on Sunday, April 27.
In so doing, they become the first team in the state to win the Nigerian elite division league since the state was created on 3 February 1976.
Before the current feat, no team from the state had won the national league. The famous Abiola Babes, the rave of the 1980s, won the Challenge Cup in 1985 and 1987.
Governor Abiodun, in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Strategy, Hon. Kayode Akinmade, said the team has sustained the inherent first capacity Ogun State is known for, adding that their resilience and perseverance have paid off.
Governor Abiodun added that Remo Stars has consistently pushed for the best with enviable patriotic tendencies since its formation.
He said the level of the team’s dexterity and capacity earned it the 2024-2025 Nigerian Premier Football League title as well as it’s promotion to the elite league four years ago.
The Governor, therefore, implored other local clubs in Nigeria to emulate the degree of resilience and doggedness the team displayed to help in promoting Nigeria’s local league to enviable heights.
“It is my utmost delight that the age-long perseverance and consistency of the Remo Stars Football team have eventually paid off at the national level and to the admiration of every Nigerian, including our amiable President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“As the first privately-owned NPFL champions since 1996, which ceremoniously secured a place in the CAF Champions League, we commend the undiluted and unwavering determination of the players, the coaching formation, and the entire management.
“This is indeed a clear reflection of the profound trait of Ogun State as the first in all areas of success and our all-inclusive policy of transformation as enshrined in our ISEYA mantra,” the statement read.
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The historic feat of Remo Stars, who won their maiden Nigerian Premier League title on the birthday occasion of the club owner, has attracted the attention of Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu.
In a statement posted on the State House X handle and signed by Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy, Tinubu congratulated Remo Stars Football Club.
He remarked that winning the 2024-2025 Nigerian Premier Football League title is a milestone achievement that spotlights Ikenne and Ogun State.
President Tinubu describes the historic victory, four years after the team’s promotion to the elite league, as a testament to the hard work, discipline, and unyielding spirit of the players, the coaching crew and the management.
He admires the team’s resilience and perseverance, noting their courage in pursuing success despite three previous near misses in the race for the league title.
He hopes their example will inspire other Nigerian clubs to pursue their dreams continuously with tenacity and optimism.
He also commends the vision and commitment of the club’s owner and chairman, Kunle Soname.
His investment in grassroots football—exemplified by the construction of the state-of-the-art stadium in Ikenne—has provided a vital foundation for the growth of sports in Nigeria.
As Nigeria’s champions, Remo Stars have become Nigeria’s representatives in the CAF Champions League. President Tinubu urges the team to deploy the same undaunted spirit and focus to win continental honours.
He calls on football fans across Nigeria to rally behind the team as they carry the nation’s hopes onto the African stage.
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