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Tag: Pitch Awards

  • Pitch Awards: High expectations as Osimhen, Oshoala in hot race to retain titles

    Pitch Awards: High expectations as Osimhen, Oshoala in hot race to retain titles

    Reigning King of the Pitch and Queen of the Pitch, Victor Osimhen and Asisat Oshoala respectively are in with excellent chances of retaining their awards at the 9th Nigeria Pitch Awards Ceremony which holds at the Great Margaret Hall of the John Woods Hotel, Abuja on Friday evening.

    Osimhen, with 23 goals in 28 matches for Italian Serie A side Napoli this season, is currently one of the world’s leading marksmen. His four goals have helped the Italian club reach the quarter finals of Europe’s top club competition, UEFA Champions League, for the very first time. At international level, his four goals against Sao Tome and Principe in a 2023 AFCON qualifier in Agadir, Morocco nine months ago helped Nigeria to a record international win of 10-0.

    The gangling young forward has recently won the Best Foreign Athlete and Player of the Month awards in Italy. He battles Ademola Lookman, Alex Iwobi and Paul Onuachu.

    Oshoala, who features for FC Barcelona Femenin in Spain’s top division, scooped the Pichichi Award as the league’s joint-highest goalscorer with 20 goals, which helped her club win the league title. Her club also won the Spanish Super Cup. She is in a contest with Super Falcons’ team-mates Rasheedat Ajibade and Gift Monday.

    There are 18 categories in all where winners will emerge on Friday night: King of the Pitch; Queen of the Pitch; Striker of the Year; Goalkeeper of the Year; Defender of the Year; Midfielder of the Year; Team of the Year; Coach of the Year; Sam Okwaraji Award; State With The Best Grassroots Football Development Programme; Football Pitch of the Year; Football-Friendly Governor of the Year; Corporate Sponsor of the Year; Sportsmanship Award; Football Journalist of the Year-Print; Football Journalist of the Year-TV; Football Journalist of the Year-Radio and; Football Journalist of the Year-Online.

    The four media categories hold interesting prospects, with Mr. Kunle Solaja, honoured by football’s world-governing body at last year’s World Cup finals in Qatar for having covered 10 FIFA World Cup finals, in the race for Football Journalist of the Year-Online. Tobi Adepoju and Shina Oludare are the other contestants.

    In Football Journalist of the Year-TV, SuperSport ace Mozez Praiz is in the race with TVC’s Promise Efoghe and Channels’ Cecilia Omorogbe. In Football Journalist of the Year-Print, The PUNCH’s Sports Editor Tana Aiyejina is in the contest with Charles Diya and Johnny Edward, while Emmanuel Etim tops the shortlist for Football Journalist of the Year-Radio, which also has Yinka Oyedele and Tony Bekederemo.

    Three eminent personalities, viz Edo State Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu, billionaire investor Kunle Soname and former NFF 1st Vice President Seyi Akinwunmi are shortlisted for Sportsmanship Award, as are MTN, Bet9ja, Coca-Cola and AITEO for Corporate Sponsor of Football.

    Rivers State Governor, His Excellency Nyesom Wike, CON and Governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Godwin Obaseki of Lagos and Edo States respectively contend for Football-Friendly Governor while Edo, Lagos and Delta jostle for State With The Best Grassroots Development Programme. Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Remo Stars Stadium and Godswill Akpabio Stadium are in the race for Football Pitch of the Year.

    The Flamingos, bronze medallists at the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in India, battle Rivers United and Remo Stars for Team of the Year, and Rivers United’s Stanley Eguma tops the list for Coach of the Year, which also has Gbenga Ogunbote and Bankole Olowookere.

  • Pitch Awards tips Super Eagles to bounce back

    Pitch Awards tips Super Eagles to bounce back

    Organisers of the Nigerian Pitch Awards on Tuesday tipped the Super Eagles to bounce back from the present poor run of form after their inability to feature at the ongoing World Cup in Qatar.

    Sina Philips, President of Matchmakers Consult International Ltd., the organisers of the Pitch Awards, made the comment at a news conference to herald the 9th edition of the awards in Lagos.

    Philips also congratulated the newly elected President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Ibrahim Gusau, while urging Nigerians to give him the necessary support.

    “As the attention of the football world is focused on the FIFA World Cup, currently ongoing in Qatar, we understand the disappointment of many Nigerians that our national team, Super Eagles are not among the top teams competing for honours.

    “As stakeholders in the Nigerian football project, we restate our belief that the Super Eagles and other national teams will bounce back and retain their place of dominance in continental and global football competition.

    “We again express our confidence in the new administration led by Gusau and the coaching crew of our national teams.

    “We urge Nigerians to be patient with the new management and continue to give their support to them,” he said.

    Phillips said that the 9th Pitch Awards would commence with a voting process in December, to cap it award ceremony in March 2023.

    “The 9th edition of the awards will kick off Dec. 1 with the voting process. Voting will end Jan. 16, 2023.

    “The announcement of nominees will be made by Feb. 21 2023, while the 9th Awards Ceremony is tentatively scheduled to hold in March 2023.

    “With the active support of Nigerians, we have continued to sustain this incredible platform, which rewards footballers, administrators, coaches, clubs, sponsors for their commitment and passion for the game.

    “The Pitch Awards has become the longest running football awards in Nigeria history. We also remained committed to our core principle of credibility, transparency and integrity,” he said.

  • 8th Nigeria Pitch Awards ceremony holds in Abuja 29 March

    8th Nigeria Pitch Awards ceremony holds in Abuja 29 March

    President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Mr Amaju Melvin Pinnick has given thumbs up to the organizers of the Nigeria Pitch Awards as the eighth edition of the NFF –endorsed awards ceremony comes up at The Wells Carlton Hotel & Apartments, Asokoro, Abuja on Tuesday, 29th March 2022.

    Launched in 2013 and driven by a corp of young and dedicated entrepreneurs, the Nigeria Pitch Awards has remained firmly among the most consistent, credible and trusted annual ceremonies to reward Nigerian football stars over the years.

    Pinnick, who 12 months ago added another feather to his cap by becoming a Member of the FIFA Council (football’s highest decision –making organ universally) and who has been nominated for a special award at the event, said on Monday that the NFF continues to endorse the Pitch Awards because of the transparency of the awards’ processes and the integrity of the project.

    “Awards are very important part of the sport. It helps to motivate, incentivize and energize the actors and actresses on the pitch. Beyond monetary rewards, awards are very special in that many, many years after, you can look at it either on the wall of your room or inside your cabinet and be proud of what you did while you were out there active in the business.

    “I salute the bravery and perseverance of the President of Pitch Awards, Shina Phillips and his team. They are doing a great job that is helping the collective work of inspiring our players to more determined and greater performances in crucial matches and championships.”

    This year’s awards ceremony takes place hours after the final leg of the FIFA World Cup playoff between the Eagles and the Stars at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.

    Also to be honoured at the ceremony are Dr Aisha Muhammadu Buhari, wife of the President (who will receive Special Achievement in Sports award); Mrs Betsy Obaseki, First Lady of Edo State and; IGP Usman Alkali Baba, the Inspector-General of Police.

    On 5th January, at a ceremony in Lagos, the organizers unveiled the nominees for 17 award categories. Super Eagles’ star-boy Victor Osimhen will battle team-mates Paul Onuachu and Wilfred Ndidi for the King of the Pitch award, while Super Falcons’ trio of Asisat Oshoala, Uchenna Kanu and Gift Monday will duel for the Queen of the Pitch diadem.

    Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta and Ezenwo Nyesom Wike of Rivers will contend for the Football-Friendly Governor of the Year, while Kelechi Iheanacho joins Osimhen and Onuachu for the Striker of the Year contest.

    NFF’s partners MTN, Air Peace and AITEO are in the ring for Corporate Sponsor of Football award.

    Other categories are Goalkeeper of the Year; Defender of the Year; Midfielder of the Year; Team of the Year; Coach of the Year; Sam Okwaraji Award; State with Best Grassroots Football Development Programme; Football Pitch of the Year and; Football Journalist of the Year awards.