Osimhen, Oshoala among Nigeria Pitch Awards nominees

Super Eagles and Italian Serie A goal-king, Victor Osimhen, and in-form FC Barcelona Femeni forward, Asisat Oshoala, top the list of nominees for the ninth edition of the Nigeria Pitch Awards.

According to information available to The Eagle Online, the award is scheduled to hold on March 24, 2023 in Abuja.

Osimhen, record scorer of the FIFA U17 World Cup finals (with 10 goals, achieved at the finals in Chile in 2015), has continued to bang in the goals in the Italian Serie A, where he is current leading scorer.

He scored four of Nigeria’s 10 goals in the record international win over Sao Tome and Principe last year summer.

There are, in total, 18 categories of awards, viz: 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.

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Presenting the list of nominees to the NFF leadership on Thursday, the President of Matchmakers Consult International, organizers of the Nigeria Pitch Awards, Shina Philips, expressed appreciation to the NFF for its encouragement of the Awards over the years and assured that the fine canons of transparency and credibility that have taken the Awards this far will never be discountenanced for any reason.

Philips said: “We are happy with the encouragement and regard that we have continued to receive from the NFF since we started the Awards in 2013.

“The Federation has always been there and always present at the event.

“We are bold to say that the Awards will forever retain its integrity, transparency and credibility.”

Responding on behalf of the NFF President, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, who joined the presentation on video to wish the organisers the best going forward, NFF Technical Director, Augustine Eguavoen, assured the Nigeria Pitch Awards of the Federation’s continued support as long as the tenets of integrity and credibility associated with the Awards over the years are sustained.

Also present at the presentation were NFF’s Director of Communications, Ademola Olajire; Head of International, Dayo Enebi Achor; and Chief Operating Officer of the Nigeria Pitch Awards, Nelson Olafisoye.