Nigeria Pitch Awards Ceremony to Hold in Port Harcourt

Organizers of the prestigious Nigeria Pitch Awards have announced the date and venue for the 2017/18 award ceremony.Speaking in Lagos earlier today, Shina Philips, initiator of the awards said the Award Ceremony will hold on Monday 28 May at the Le Meridien Ogeyi Place in the Garden City of Port Harcourt.

 Philips said after deliberations, the committee agreed that Port Harcourt was the best venue for the 5th award ceremony of the Nigeria Pitch Awards.

‘The committee had a long and serious deliberation and finally decided that Port Harcourt would be the best location for the 5th edition of the awards,’ Philips said. The Garden City has been a centre of sporting activities for a long time and a home for the Super Eagles,’ he concluded.

Mr. Philips thanked all the voters and members of the Nigerian media for their support for the Nigeria Pitch Awards. ‘Sports Editors and journalists have been our voters for the last 5 editions and they have done this conscientiously without receiving any form of wages’, Philips said Three Super Eagles players, Victor Moses of Chelsea FC, Wilfred Ndidi of Leicester FC and John Mikel Obi of Tiajin Teda will be battling for the top prize at the award ceremony. Nominees for other categories are:  

GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR1.         Carl Ikeme                                        Wolverhampton Wanderers

2.         Ikechukwu Ezenwa                        Ifeanyi Ubah FC

3.         Dele Ajiboye                                     Plateau United FC DEFENDER OF THE YEAR1.         Leon Balogun                                   FSV Mainz 05 

2.         William Troost-Ekong                    Bursapor FC

3.         Shehu Abdullahi                              Anothosis Famagusta FC MIDFIELDER OF THE YEAR1.         John Mikel Obi                                 Tianjin Teda

2.         Wilfred Ndidi                                   Leicester City FC

3.         Victor Moses                                     Chelsea FC STRIKER OF THE YEAR1.         Victor Moses                                     Chelsea FC

2.         Anthony Okpotu                              Lobi Stars FC

3.         Odion Ighalo                                     Changchun Yatai MVP (MEN) IN THE NPFL1.         Ikechukwu Ezenwa                        Ifeanyi Ubah FC

2.         Stephen Odey                                   MFM FC/FC Zurich

3.         Anthony Okpotu                              Lobi Stars FC MVP (WOMEN) IN THE NWFL1.         Charity Rueben                                Ibom Angels

2.         Rasheedat Ajibade                          FC Robo

3.         Amarachi Okonkwo                                    Nasarawa Amazons COACH OF THE YEAR1.         Fidelis Elechukwu                           MFM FC

2.         Gernot Rohr                                     Super Eagles

3.         Kennedy Boboye                             Plateau United CLUB/TEAM OF THE YEAR1.         Super Eagles

2.         Plateau United FC

3.         MFM FC REFEREE OF THE YEAR1.         Ferdinand Udoh

2.         Adebimpe Quadri

3.         Ogabor Joseph STATE WITH THE BEST GRASSROOTS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME1.         Lagos State

2.         Rivers State

3.         Delta State FOOTBALL FRIENDLY GOVERNOR OF THE YEAR1.         His Excellency Godwin Obaseki                           Edo State

2.         His Excellency Emmanuel Udom                         Akwa Ibom State

3.         His Excellency Akinwunmi Ambode                   Lagos State SAM OKWARAJI AWARD FOR COMMITMENT TO NIGERIAN FOOTBALL1.         Shehu Dikko                         2nd Vice President, NFF

2.         Amaju Melvin Pinnick       President, NFF

3.         Chief Ifeanyi Ubah               Chairman, Ifeanyi Ubah FC CORPORATE SPONSOR OF FOOTBALL AWARD1.         Aiteo Group

2.         Nigerian Breweries plc3.         Coca Cola plc FOOTBALL JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR (PRINT)1.         Johnny Edwards                              Complete Sports

2.         Tana Aiyejina                                   Punch Newspapers

3.         Olalekan Okusan                             The Nation Newspapers FOOTBALL JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR (RADIO)1.         Godwin Enakhena                           Top Radio FM

2.         Olawale Adigun                               Top Radio FM

3.         Tony Bekederemo                           Brila FM FOOTBALL JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR (TV)1.         Austin Okon-Akpan                        Channels TV

2.         Godwin Enakhena                           LTV/SportsSplash

3.         Mozez Praiz                                      Supersport QUEEN OF THE PITCH

1.         Rasheedat Ajibade                          FC Robo

2.         Reuben Charity                                Ibom Angels

3.         Asisat Oshoala                                  Dalian Quanjian