Abuja: Victor Osimhen, Super Eagles and Galatasaray striker; Calvin Bassey, Fulham left-back, and Ademola Lookman, Atalanta forward, have been nominated for the prestigious ‘King of the Pitch’ category of the Nigeria Pitch Awards.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the organisers of the annual soccer awards revealed the nominees for the 12th edition during a stakeholders’ luncheon on Tuesday in Abuja. Osimhen leads the list with nominations in three categories, including the Sam Okwaraji Awards and the Rashidi Yekini Award for the Best Striker, where he faces competition from Lookman and Anas Yusuf of Nasarawa United.
Bassey has been nominated for the Defender of the Year category, competing against Benjamin Frederick and Ola Aina of Nottingham Forest. This marks the seventh nomination for Osimhen in the ‘King of the Pitch’ category, a title he has won three times consecutively. Meanwhile, Lookman is vying for his second win after securing the title in the 11th edition.
In the ‘Queen of the Pitch’ (Women) category, Super Falcons stars Chiamaka Nnadozie, Rasheedat Ajibade, and Esther Okoronkwo have been recognized for their impressive performances over the past year. The ‘Midfielder of the Year’ nominees include Alex Iwobi, Frank Onyeka, Raphael Onyedika, and Wilfred Ndidi.
For the ‘Goalkeeper of the Year’, Udinese’s Maduka Okoye is nominated alongside Stanley Nwabali from Chippa United and Kayode Bankole from Remo Stars. The ‘Coach of the Year’ category features Finidi George (Rivers United), Daniel Ogunmodede (Remo Stars), and Justin Madugu, the WAFCON 2024 winning coach.
The Super Falcons, Remo Stars FC, and Rivers United FC are in contention for the ‘Team of the Year’ award. Other categories include ‘Football Pitch of the Year’, with nominations for MKO Abiola Int’l Stadium, Godswill Akpabio Stadium, and Remo Stars Stadium. Delta, Kwara, and Lagos are competing for the ‘State with the Best Grassroots Football Development Programme’ award, while Bet9ja, GTI Financial, and MTN Nigeria are nominees for the ‘Corporate Sponsor of Football Award’.
Governors Umo Eno of Akwa-Ibom, Dapo Abiodun of Ogun, and Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos are nominated for the ‘Football Friendly Governor of the Year’ category. Additional categories include the ‘Sportsmanship Award’ and the ‘Football Journalist of the Year’ across print, TV, radio, and online platforms.
Mr. Shina Philips, President of the Nigeria Pitch Awards, acknowledged the professionalism and dedication of the College of Voters across the country. Philips noted that the selection of nominees for the 12th award ceremony adhered to stringent guidelines in place since the awards’ inception.
He emphasized that the awards aim to inspire individual footballers and stakeholders to higher levels of commitment and professionalism while also encouraging government and corporate entities to invest in sports development in Nigeria. Philips highlighted the role of the awards platform in drawing attention to the need for improving sports infrastructure and fostering national interest in sports as a revenue-generating industry.
Philips announced that the 12th edition will honor the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) with the Special Achievement in Sports Award for its dedication to sports development through initiatives like the Niger Delta Games. Plans are also in place to launch an annual international sports conference alongside the award ceremony, with further details to be announced after the upcoming AFCON in Morocco.