Recently updated on November 1st, 2018 at 07:47 pm
Winners have emerged at the 4th Nigeria Pitch Awards 2017 held in Uyo.
Asisat Oshoala, who was crowned 2016 Queen of the Pitch, beat fellow Super Falcons players Onome Ebi and Desire Oparanozie to the Queen of the Pitch award.
Wilfred Ndidi took the Midfielder of the Year award over Eagles captain John Mikel Obi and Oghenekaro Etebo, while William Troost-Ekong of Gents FC picked the Defender of the Year award.
Carl Ikeme, who have been missing in action due to injury, was named the Goalkeeper of the Year, as Kelechi Iheanacho beat Godwin Obaje and Chisom Egbuchulam to emerge the Best Striker.
Chisom Egbuchulam, however, won the award for the Most Valuable Player in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) while Rafiat Sule of Bayelsa Queen was crowned Most Valuable Player in the Nigerian Women Football League (NWFL).
Enugu Rangers FC and their former Coach Imama Amapakabo picked the Club of the Year and Coach of the Year Awards respectively.
In the Referee of the Year category, Ferdinand Udoh beat Adebimpe Quadri and Jelili Ogunmuyiwa to win the award for the 3rd time.
The Sam Okwaraji Award was won by Dr. Ifeanyi Ubah; the Football Friendly Governor of the Year was won by Governor Emmanuel Udom, Governor of Akwa Ibom State, while Lagos emerged State with Best Grassroots Football Development Programme.
Kelechi Iheanacho was also crowned King of the Pitch of the Year.
Nigeria Pitch Awards is an initiative of Matchmakers Consult International fully endorsed and supported by the Nigeria Football Federation, Nigeria’s football governing body.
The major objectives of the Nigeria Pitch Awards are to identify, recognise and honour exceptional talent, hard work, determination, commitment and patriotism in Nigerian footballers and other football stakeholders as a way of inspiring footballers and football officials to ‘play’, perform and work better with a view to improving our ranking in the world football community.
