Why Lagos Delegation Was At Aieto CAF Awards In Ghana – Ambode

Governor Ambode (middle), Chairman Lagos State Sports Commission, Dr Kweku Tandoh (4th right), DG, Lagos State Sports Commission, Tunde Bank-Anthony (3rd right) and other members of Lagos delegation to the Aieto CAF Football Awards night in Accra, Ghana on Thursday. 

The Governor of Lagos State, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode has revealed why he personally led a high power delegation from the State to the 2017 Aieto CAF Football Awards night in Accra, Ghana on Thursday.

The Governor was among many important dignitaries who were in the front row to witnessed the CAF Awards ceremony, the first which Aieto Group, Nigeria’s leading energy solution company and Official Optimum Partner of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF.

The sports loving Governor described the awards night as being excellently packaged, adding “We are very happy with what Aiteo as an institution is doing for Nigerian Football, and that is why we are here to support them, to support the NFF and to support CAF. This has been a spectacular event and it is good for the image of Nigeria.”

The Lagos State delegation also included Steve Ayorinde (Information and Strategy Commissioner), Kweku Tandoh (Chairman of Lagos State Sports Commission), Tunde Bank-Anthony (Director General, DG, Sports Commission), Ayodeji Tinubu (Special Adviser, SA on Sports to Governor), Adeyinka Adeboye (Senior Special Assistant, SSA on Sports to Governor) and Liameed Abdulgafar.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo of Ghana, former President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, former President John Jerry Rawlings of Ghana (accompanied by his wife, Nana Konadu), the First Lady-designate of Liberia (Mrs George Weah), Nigeria’s Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, Aiteo Chairman Benedict Peters, Deputy Governor Yetunde Onanuga of Ogun State, CAF President Ahmad, FIFA Secretary –General Fatma Samoura, Members of the Federal Executive Council of Ghana and Members of the CAF Executive Committee were among the personalities in the front row.

Presidents of CAF’s member associations, a strong team from the Nigeria Football Federation, heavy presence of the Ghana Football Association hierarchy and an elite team from the Lagos State Government were complemented by legends and stars of the African game, CAF secretariat, members of the diplomatic corps, leading artistes and other football stakeholders.

NFF’s team included its President and CAF executive member Amaju Pinnick, Vice Presidents Seyi Akinwunmi and Shehu Dikko, Executive Committee members Ibrahim Gusau, Yusuf Ahmed and Sharif Inuwa, Chairman of Women’s Football Committee, Hon. Ayo Omidiran and a number of NPFL club owners led by chairman, Isaac Danladi.

NFF President Pinnick said after the epic event that: “This has been a very exciting and colourful night. It has been worthwhile. Everyone, from CAF to Aiteo, is happy about the turn –out of the very first Awards that both are involved together and the NFF is also happy.”

As expected, Egypt and Liverpool ace Mohamed Salah took the gong for the men’s title (ahead of Senegal’s Sadio Mane and Gabon’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang) while Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala took the women’s crown. However, Super Eagles’ coach Gernot Rohr lost the Coach of the Year crown to Hector Cuper (Coach of Egypt), and Egypt’s Pharaohs (runner-up of the AFCON and returning to the FIFA World Cup after 28 years) took the National Team of the Year ahead of the Super Eagles. Nigeria’s Junior Ajayi made Africa’s Finest XI.

Salah said: “For me, this is a dream come true. I genuinely cherish this award, and I dedicate it to all the young people of Egypt and the whole of Africa. My message to them is that they should never stop dreaming, and they should never stop believing in themselves.”

AWARD WINNERS

Player of the Year: Mohamed Salah
Woman Player of the Year: Asisat Oshoala
Youth Player of the Year: Patson Daka
Coach of the Year: Hector Cuper
National Team of the Year: Egypt
Women’s National Team of the Year: South Africa
Club of the Year: Wydad Athletic Club (Morocco)
African Legend Award: Ibrahim Sunday (Ghana)
Football Leader of the Year: Ahmed Yahya (Mauritania)
Special Recognition Award: George Oppong Weah (Liberia)