Nigerian Football
NIGERIA PITCH AWARDS ROLLS OUT 2017 NOMINEES
Usual suspects topped the list as Match Makers Consults and its auditing partners, SIAO rolled out 54 possible winners in 18 categories of the fifth edition of the annual awards.
The unveiling was done on Wednesday by the organisers at a press conference in Ikeja, Lagos. Top on the contenders’ list for the main title is the Super Eagles’ skipper, Mikel Obi who is expected to have stiff challenge from the duo of English Premiership stars – Victor Moses of Chelsea and Wilfred Ndidi of Leicester City.
The three national team players are jostling for the ‘King of the Pitch’ Award. According to Sina Philips, the CEO of Match Makers Consult, the event will hold in Lagos at a date to be announced in June.
Nominated for the Goalkeeper of the Year is Carl Ikeme, the recuperating goaltender for Wolverhampton Wanderers of England. Contending with him are Ikechukwu Ezenwa who was with FC UfeanyiUbah in the season under consideration and Dele Ajiboye of league champions, Plateau United.
The full nominations run thus:
GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR
- Carl Ikeme Wolverhampton Wanderers
- Ikechukwu Ezenwa Ifeanyi Ubah FC
- Dele Ajiboye Plateau United FC
DEFENDER OF THE YEAR
- Leon Balogun FSV Mainz 05
- William Troost-Ekong Bursapor FC
- Shehu Abdullahi Anothosis Famagusta FC
MIDFIELDER OF THE YEAR
- John Mikel Obi Tianjin Teda
- Wilfred Ndidi Leicester City FC
- Victor Moses Chelsea FC
STRIKER OF THE YEAR
- Victor Moses Chelsea FC
- Anthony Okpotu Lobi Stars FC
- Odion Ighalo Changchun Yatai
MVP (MEN) IN THE NPFL
- Ikechukwu Ezenwa Ifeanyi Ubah FC
- Stephen Odey MFM FC/FC Zurich
- Anthony Okpotu Lobi Stars FC
MVP (WOMEN) IN THE NWFL
- Charity Rueben Ibom Angels
- Rasheedat Ajibade FC Robo
- Amarachi Okonkwo Nasarawa Amazons
COACH OF THE YEAR
- Fidelis Elechukwu MFM FC
- Gernot Rohr Super Eagles
- Kennedy Boboye Plateau United
CLUB/TEAM OF THE YEAR
- Super Eagles
- Plateau United FC
- MFM FC
REFEREE OF THE YEAR
- Ferdinand Udoh
- Adebimpe Quadri
- Ogabor Joseph
STATE WITH THE BEST GRASSROOTS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
- Lagos State
- Rivers State
- Delta State
FOOTBALL FRIENDLY GOVERNOR OF THE YEAR
- His Excellency Godwin Obaseki Edo State
- His Excellency Emmanuel Udom Akwa Ibom State
- His Excellency Akinwunmi Ambode Lagos State
SAM OKWARAJI AWARD FOR COMMITMENT TO NIGERIAN FOOTBALL
- Shehu Dikko 2nd Vice President, NFF
- Amaju Melvin Pinnick President, NFF
- Chief Ifeanyi Ubah Chairman, Ifeanyi Ubah FC
CORPORATE SPONSOR OF FOOTBALL AWARD
- Aiteo Group
- Nigerian Breweries plc
- Coca Cola plc
FOOTBALL JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR (PRINT)
- Johnny Edwards Complete Sports
- Tana Aiyejina Punch Newspapers
- Olalekan Okusan The Nation Newspapers
FOOTBALL JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR (RADIO)
- Godwin Enakhena Top Radio FM
- Olawale Adigun Top Radio FM
- Tony Bekederemo Brila FM
FOOTBALL JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR (TV)
- Austin Okon-Akpan Channels TV
- Godwin Enakhena LTV/SportsSplash
- Mozez Praiz Supersport
QUEEN OF THE PITCH
- Rasheedat Ajibade FC Robo
- Rueben Charity Ibom Angels
- Asisat Oshoala Dalian Quanjian
KING OF THE PITCH
- Victor Moses Chelsea FC
- Wilfred Ndidi Leicester City FC
- John Mikel Obi Tiajin Teda
Nigerian Football
Nigeria’s sports minister, Enoh applauds NFF for ‘buying local material’
Nigeria’s Minister of Sports Development, John Owan Enoh on Monday praised the leadership of Nigeria Football Federation for settling for an indigenous Head Coach for the Super Eagles, despite the plethora of foreign tacticians who applied for the job.
Enoh, who spoke at the unveiling ceremony of the Eagles’ new substantive Head Coach, Finidi George at the MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, charged the NFF to give the former winger all the support to succeed, while also soliciting the support of all Nigerians for the new helmsman.
“As a student of the University of Calabar in those days, I used to go to the UJ Esuene Stadium to watch Calabar Rovers, which included Finidi George. I am excited to see him seated here as the new Head Coach of the Super Eagles.”
President of NFF, Ibrahim Musa Gusau exuded delight with the ‘new chapter’ the Federation is opening about the Nigeria game, saying the football-governing body is determined to fully support George and his assistants to lead the Super Eagles to new heights.
“When we returned from the Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire, we began the search for a new Head Coach. There was a plethora of foreign applicants, far more than the indigenous applicants. However, we undertook a thorough process that has produced an indigenous Coach and we are very happy about that. Finidi George was part of the technical crew that came close to winning the AFCON, and we have faith in him that he will lead the team to the title next time.
“Our objective now is to ensure the enthronement of excellence at all levels of the National Teams.”
Nigerian Football
No more bench-warmers in the Super Eagles, says Finidi George
New man on the managerial saddle of the Super Eagles, Finidi George has stated that he will invite for international assignments, only players who feature regularly at their clubs either in Nigeria or in the diaspora, and promised that the Super Eagles will remain even more competitive in the years ahead.
Nigerian Football
Finidi George handed a short-term contract as Nigeria’s 41st coach
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
Former Super Eagles’ player Finidi George has been formally presented as the 41st person to ever handle the Nigeria national team.
His unveiling was made at the Media Centre of the Moshood Abiola Media Centre.
However, he was handed a short-term contract as his tenure is programmed to lapse after one year.
In essence, his tenure may lapse on or before the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 which timing has not been ascertained.
The competition will however hold in Morocco. Also, by May 2025 when the contract will lapse, Nigeria will be looking forward to a potentially dicey Match Day 8 World Cup qualifier against South Africa on 7 September 2025.
Finidi who had been holding forth since the expiration of the his former boss’ contract is expected to build on his impressive credentials. The World Cup and the Olympic Games’ medal are the only laurels he missed having won others, including the UEFA Champions League.
His goal qualified Nigeria for the World Cup for the first time in 1993. In 1994, he scored the goal that pushed Nigeria into the next round before Daniel Amokachi later score the one that shot Nigeria to the top of the group that comprised of Argentina, Bulgaria and Greece.
His impressive career in the Africa Cup of Nations include three podium finishing as number one in 1994, number two in 2000 and third placed at Senegal ‘92.
He also won the European Champions League with Ajax. He will be striving to take Nigeria back to an enviable height with qualification for the 2026 World Cup and winning of the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 in Morocco.
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