Osimhen, Oshoala, Rivers United, MTN among nominees for Nigeria Pitch Awards

[FILES] Nigeria’s forward Asisat Oshoala .<br />AFP PHOTO/ANDY CLARK

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 Nigeria Pitch Awards scheduled to hold in the Federal Capital, Abuja on March 24, 2023.

Osimhen, record scorer of the FIFA U-17 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 and 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.

Presenting the list of nominees to the NFF leadership yesterday, president of Matchmakers Consult International (organisers of the Nigeria Pitch Awards), Mr. 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.

“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