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Osimhen dominates 2021 The Ballers Awards

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Super Eagles and Napoli striker, Victor Osimhen won two of the 19 categories as the fourth edition of The Ballers Award took place at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos. The award celebrated the performances of the awardees in 2021.

Osimhen was not the only star performer.  Calvin Bassey, Super Falcons striker Asisat Oshoala and legendary Nigeria international Chief Segun Odegbami were among winners at the 2021 The Ballers Awards.

Other recipients include Joe Aribo, Zaidu Sanusi, Maduka Okoye, Ahmed Musa, Kennedy Boboye, Paul Onuachu and Anayo Iwuala.

Present at Sunday’s awards were NFF’s first Vice President,  Seyi Akinwunmi; Chief Segun Odegbami; Group Managing Director, Complete Communications Limited, Dr. Mumini Alao and Chairman Lagos State Sports Commission, Sola Aiyepekun.

Also present were renowned radio/tv sports presenters; Deji Omotoyinbo, Charles Anazodo, Mozez Praiz and Big Brother Naija Lockdown Housemate, Ozoemena who presented one of the awards.

In the awards categories, Osimhen won both Forward of the Year and Baller of the Year for male, Bassey got the Revelation of the Year award, Chief Odegbami was handed the Legendary Baller award, Onuachu was awarded Super Eagles Goal of the Year and Oshoala was the recipient for both the Fans’ Favourite Baller and Female Baller of the Year awards.

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The Goalkeeper of the Year went to Maduka Okoye, Sanusi was picked as the Best Defender of the Year, Aribo was awarded Midfielder of the Year, Super Eagles skipper Musa was named Humanitarian of the Year, Boboye was voted Coach of the Year, Esperance of Tunisia forward Anayo Iwuala was awarded Best Local Based Player and Ajani Waheed went home with Most Promising Baller.

And in other awards categories, Akinwunmi bagged the Excellence in Leadership award and veteran journalist Kunle Solaja got the Industry Icon of the Year award.

Also, Shina Oludare of goal.com won Best Print/Online, the Best TV/VLOG was awarded to Hindsight Podcast while Justina Aniefiok won Best Sports Photography.

Representatives collected the awards for most of the winners who were not present at the event.

There were music, dance and comedy performances to entertain the guests.

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Former Nigeria internationals like Joe Erico, Barnabas Imenger, Justice Christopher, Yisa Shofoluwe, who recently passed away were all remembered by the organizers of the award.

Also remembered were Complete Sports founder and Nigeria sport icon Dr. Sunny Emmanuel Ojeagbase and former NFF Technical Director Kashimawo Laloko.

Speaking after the awards, founder of Naijafootballers organizers of The Ballers Awards, Gbenga Salu, thanked everybody who made out time to be at the award.

“Let me use this opportunity to say a big thank you to everybody who attended this award I can’t thank you enough. You made it possible by making out time to be here.

“We look forward to the next edition which will come up next year and we hope it would be bigger that what we just witnessed because we always pray that the new edition is bigger than the previous. So once again I want to say a big thank you to everybody I’m grateful.”

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Winners at the 2021 The Ballers Awards:

 REVELATION OF THE YEAR
Calvin Bassey

– FANS’ FAVOURITE BALLER
Asisat Oshoala

– GOAL KEEPER OF THE YEAR
Maduka Okoye

– DEFENDER OF THE YEAR
Zaidu Sanusi

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– MIDFIELDER OF THE YEAR
Joe Aribo

– FORWARD OF THE YEAR
Victor Osimhen

– BALLER OF THE YEAR – MALE
Victor Osimhen

– BALLER OF THE YEAR – FEMALE
Asisat Oshoala

– HUMANITARIAN OF THE YEAR
Ahmed Musa

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– MOST PROMISING BALLER
Ajani Waheed

– COACH OF THE YEAR
Kennedy Boboye

– SUPER EAGLES GOAL OF THE YEAR
Paul Onuachu VS LESOTHO

– BEST LOCAL BASED PLAYER
Anayo Iwuala

– BEST TV/VLOG
Hindsight Podcast(YOUTUBE)

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– BEST PRINT/ONLINE
Shina Oludare (goal.com)

– BEST SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY
Justina Aniefiok

– INDUSTRY ICON OF THE YEAR
Kunle Solaja

– EXCELLENCE IN LEADERSHIP AWARD
Seyi Akinwunmi

– LEGENDARY BALLER
Segun Odegbami

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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