The nominees for the 4th edition of the Nigeria
Pitch Awards are now known, after SIAO Partners Limited, the collating and verification
firm, released the results to the Nigeria Football Federation.
In a letter to the NFF President dated 11th May
2017, and signed by the Managing Partner, Pastor Ituah Ighodalo, the auditing
firm explained that the voting was done by Nigeria sports editors/managers
across the 36 States of the Federation and the FCT, between 5th – 23rd
April 2017.
“The votes were collated and verified by our team of
Auditors. We pride ourselves as one of the best accounting and audit firms
operating in Nigeria. We have approached this collation process with extreme
care and with the standard professional ethics required to sustain the core
values of transparency, credibility and integrity. We therefore take
professional responsibility for the integrity of the results presented,” stated
the letter from SIAO.
There are 18 categories in all, with three nominees for each
category. Three –time FIFA World Cup star Vincent Enyeama tops the Goalkeeper
of the Year category, while France –based striker Desire Oparanozie leads two
other Super Falcons in the race for Queen of the Pitch, and NPFL Club, FC
IfeanyiUbah owner, Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah is nominated for the Sam Okwaraji
Award, alongside Super Eagles’ captain John Mikel Obi and Nigeria’s 2016
Olympic Team Head Coach, Samson Siasia.
Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel is nominated for
Football Friendly Governor of the Year alongside Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos and
Ezenwo Nyesom Wike of Rivers, while Ferdinand Aniete Udoh leads the Referee of
the Year category that also has FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup veteran Jelili
Ogunmuyiwa and Adebimpe Quadri.
Ade Ojeikere, group sports editor of The Nation newspapers
is in the race for Football Journalist of the Year (Print) while Mozez Praiz of
SuperSport heads the race for Football Journalist of the Year (TV).
The 4th Nigeria Pitch Awards ceremony comes up in
Uyo, capital of Akwa Ibom State on Saturday, 10th June 2017, hours
after the Nigeria/South Africa 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match of
the same day.
THE NOMINEES
Goalkeeper of the
Year: Vincent
Enyeama; Carl Ikeme; Ikechukwu Ezenwa
Defender of the
Year: Leon
Balogun; Kenneth Omeruo; William Ekong
Midfielder of the
Year: John
Mikel Obi; Etebo Oghenekaro; Wilfred Ndidi
Striker of the
Year: Chisom
Egbuchulam; Godwin Obaje; Kelechi Iheanacho
MVP (Men) In The
NPFL: Godwin
Obaje; Stephen Odey; Chisom Egbuchulam
MVP (Women) In The
NWPL: Osinachi
Ohale; Rafiat Sule; Chioma Wogu
Queen of the Pitch: Desire Oparanozie; Onome Ebi;
Asisat Oshoala
King of the Pitch: Victor Moses; John Mikel Obi;
Kelechi Iheanacho
Sam Okwaraji Award: Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah; Samson
Siasia; John Mikel Obi
Club/Team of the
Year: Super
Falcons; Dream Team; Enugu Rangers
Coach of the Year: Florence Omagbemi; Gernot
Rohr; Imama Amapakabo
Referee of the
Year: Adebimpe
Quadri; Jelili Ogunmuyiwa; Ferdinand Udoh
Corporate Sponsor
of the Year:
Globacom Limited; SuperSport; Nigeria Breweries PLC
State with Best
Grassroots Football Development Program: Delta State; Lagos State; Akwa Ibom State
Football Friendly
Governor of the Year:
Nyesom Wike (Rivers); Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom); Akinwunmi Ambode (Lagos)
Football
Journalist of the Year (Radio): Bimbo Adeola; Olawale Adigun; Arafat Aliu
Football
Journalist of the Year (Print): Tobi Emmanuel; Tana Aiyejina; Ade Ojeikere
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