How Nominees Emerged For Nigeria Pitch Awards

Posted on April 26, 2019

TAIWO ADELU

Shina Phillips, President of Nigeria Pitch Awards (middle) during the media conference in Lagos on Thursday.

Transparency, which has been the hallmark in the process of choosing nominees for the prestigious football awards in the country, the Nigeria Pitch Awards since inception six years ago, was also at play when the nominees for the 2018/2019 edition of the Awards were decided.

The nominees for the sixth edition of the Nigeria Pitch Awards were unveiled in Lagos on Thursday with notable Nigerian football stars making the exclusive lists.

Super Eagles trio of Ahmed Musa of Al-Nassr, Odion Ighalo of Shanghai Shenhua and Wilfred Ndidi of Leicester City FC were among the lucky Nigerian football players shortlisted for the King of the Pitch Award.

Different players, officials, club and personalities, both men and women, were also lucky to be shortlisted for other 18 award categories, which were announced by the Media Officer of Nigeria’s Super Eagles, veteran sports journalist, Toyin Ibitoye at the unveiling media event at Ibis Hotel in Ikeja, Lagos.

P.M. EXPRESS reports that arriving at the choice of the lucky nominees was not easily come by. The organisers in their usual character ensured that the process was transparent devoid of interference from any quarter.

According to Shina Philips, President of the Nigeria Pitch Awards, the organisers placed high premium on the integrity of the Awards, as they had determined from Day One that the Nigeria Pitch Awards must always meet up with the best practices as it is being done internationally.

“What we first did was that the choice of voters for the selection process was basically those who are into the game, that is sports journalists. They analyse, report, eat and sleep with the game. They are in the best position to know who is who and who is doing good in the game both within and outside the country.

“Over 100 sports journalists were selected across the country as voters and they operated independently with none of them knowing each other.

“After they voted online, the results were sent to SIAO Partners, which also operated independently of us the organisers. This is where the shortlist of potential winners was drawn from the votes cast by sport journalists across the country between February and March 2019. This process was handled by seasoned accountants and auditors.

“Points were awarded to each nominee from where the winners will emerge on the day of the awards ceremony. The beauty of this process is that we won’t even know the eventual winners of each category until few days to the ceremony. This is to show how we maintain neutrality in the choice of who wins each award,” said Phillips, who is also a security expert.

He reiterated that Nigeria Pitch Awards has been an award with its own unique character, adding that whoever wins this award among Nigerian players must have justified it and the award will impact positively in the careers of the winners and even the nominees.

“I can say with authority that till day, none of the award winners has ever called to say thank you. This is because we don’t even encourage such compliments.

“We do well to maintain the integrity and transparency of what we are doing. The process is thorough because nobody determines the winners except the voters,” he said.

To Nneka Eneli, Head of Corporate Services, who represented Pastor Ituah Ighodalo, the Managing Partner of SIAO Partners at the nominees unveiling press conference in Lagos on Thursday, the SIAO Partners will “continue to do our best for the awards to maintain the core values the organisers have set. The process was professionally handled by teams of accountants and auditors without any interference from the organisers.”

Senior Editors present at the press conference also attested to the integrity and the high values of the Nigeria Pitch Awards. One of them, Dapo Sotiminu of the Sports Compass noted that the Awards has taken a cue from what happened in the advanced world, adding that Nigeria is lucky to have the Pitch Awards which is competing in terms of organisation and acceptability with other prestigious awards across the world.

Toyin Ibitoye, Super Eagles Media Officer reading from a long list of the nominees for the Nigeria Pitch Awards

THE FULL NOMINEES

Goalkeeper of the Year category

Ikechukwu Ezenwa (Katsina United FC)

Theophilus Afelokhai (Enyimba F.C)

Francis Odinaka Uzoho (Deportivo La Coruna/Anorthosis Famagusta)

Defender of the Year Category

Leon Balogun (Brighton and Hove Albion FC defender)

William Troost-Ekong (Udinese FC)

Kenneth Omeruo (Leganés FC)

Midfielder of the Year category

Oghenekaro Etebo (Stoke City)

Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City)

Alex Iwobi (Arsenal FC)

Striker of the Year category

Junior Lokosa (Kano Pillars FC)

Odion Ighalo (Shanghai Shenhua)

Ahmed Musa (Al-Nassr)

Queen of the Pitch Category

Asisat Oshoala (Barcelona Ladies)

Francisca Ordega (Shanghai Shengli)

Rasheedat Ajibade (Avaldsnes IL)

King of the Pitch category

Ahmed Musa (Al-Nassr)

Odion Ighalo (Shanghai Shenhua)

Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City FC)

MVP in Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) category

Godwin Aguda (Enugu Rangers)

Junior Lokosa (Kano Pillars)

Mfon Udoh (Akwa United)

MVP in the Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) category

Anam Imo (Nasarawa Amazons)

Evelyn Nwabuoku (Rivers Angels)

Rasheedat Ajibade (Avaldsnes IL)

Coach of the Year category

Thomas Dennerby (Super Falcons)

Gbenga Ogunbote (Enugu Rangers)

Solomon Ogbeide (Lobi Stars)

Club of the Year category

Akwa United

Enugu Rangers

Lobi Stars

National Team of the Year category

Super Sand Eagles,

Super Falcons

Super Eagles

Referee of the Year category

Ogabor Joseph Odey

Adebimpe Quadri

Ferdinand Udoh

Sam Okwaraji Award category

Kunle Soname (Chairman, Remo Stars/BET9JA)

Amaju Pinnick (President, NFF)

Seyi Akinwunmi (1st Vice President, NFF)

State with the Best Grassroots Football Development Programme category

Delta State

Rivers State

Lagos State

Football Friendly Governor of the Year category

H.E. Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom)

H,E, Nyesom Wike (Rivers)

H.E. Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta)

Football Journalist of the Year (Print)

Tunde Liadi (The Nation)

Johnny Edwards (Complete Sports)

Tana Aiyejina (Punch)

Football Journalist of the Year (Radio)

George Iniabasi Essien (Comfort 95.1 FM),

Tony Bekederemo(Sports Radio 88.9 Brila FM)

Olawale Adigun (Top Radio 90.9FM)

Football Journalist of the Year (TV)

Cecilia Omoregbe (Channels TV)

Mozez Praiz (Supersport)

Austin 0kon-Akpan (Channels TV)

Football Journalist of the Year (Online)

Tobi Adepoju (naijafootballplus.com)

Kunle Solaja (sportsvillagesquare.com)

Samuel Ahmadu (Goal.com)

Categorised as : Sports
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How Nominees Emerged For Nigeria Pitch Awards

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