President of Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau was a very happy man on Monday night, as Nigeria swept important honours at this year’s CAF Football Awards held in Marrakech, Morocco.
The NFF supremo was personally present at the Hotel Movenpick and collected the first honour that came Nigeria’s way – Women’s National Team of the Year. He dedicated the award to all women football teams on the African continent.
Chiamaka Nnadozie, who shone brightly at the FIFA World Cup finals in Down Under this year summer as the Super Falcons reached the Round of 16, was the undoubted winner of the honour of Goalkeeper of the Year (Women). The Paris FC of France safe hands made a moving speech:
“To all the young girls growing up in Africa, dreaming of becoming a footballer one day, believe me dreams do come true. My dad didn’t want me to play football but I’m sure he’s gonna see this and be happy. So, keep dreaming, keep working and I believe that one day you’ll get to this stage.”
After Asisat Oshoala won a record-extending sixth award as Player of the Year (Women), the auditorium went silent as it was time to present the men’s version. Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen, Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi and Egypt’s Mohamed Salah were the final three.
Read Also:Exclusive: CAF Can’t Deny Osimhen Men’s Player Of The Year Award –Babangida
Osimhen was crowned, becoming the first Nigeria player in 24 years to take the gong. The last person was Nwankwo Kanu, back in 1999. Kanu also won in 1996, after Rashidi Yekini in 1993 and Emmanuel Amuneke in 1994. Victor Ikpeba took the crown in 1997.
Gusau said: “I am very excited tonight. This has been hugely rewarding for our football and for our country as a whole. I congratulate Osimhen, Oshoala and Nnadozie, and I congratulate the Super Falcons as a team for bringing us this honour.
“My charge would be that they all keep doing what they know how to do best, keep improving and keep winning. The sky will be the beginning for them.”
Osimhen became the first player in the history of the African Football Awards to have been crowned Player of the Year (Men) after having pocketed the Young Player of the Year (Men) in an earlier year.
Only last Monday, the 24-year-old was crowned the 2022/2023 Player of the Year in Italy’s Serie A, after having won the Young Player of the Year in the same league in the 2021/2022 season.
5 Comments
Super!
Very Well Done!
Congratulations to Nigeria, Nigerians, The Super Eagles of Nigeria, The Super Falcons of Nigeria:
Victor Osimhen – Osigoaal!
Asisat “Agba baller” Oshoala
Chiamaka (Correct Goalkeeper) Nnadozie
All the above have all won the best titles in their respective individual categories making this a fell swoop across the board and an unparalleled year for Nigerian football in terms of awards and recognition!
Now let us see what the notorious NFF in colabo with the Fed Govt will do to appreciate these accolades and galvanise themselves to step up – Enabling our Football and Sports sectors in general to move upwards and onward off the back of these momentous and ground breaking achievements!
What will they do? Will this spur them on to sit up and defend these sectors going forwards to make sure that they build from this impressive platform of Africa and Worldwide recognition or will they do as they always do and let it all decay and slip away, fading once again into a distant and dreamlike memory?? Or should that be Nightmarish memory??
What will they do? We can only speculate and hope at this stage…let’s all – Proud, hopeful Nigerians keep fingers, toes and everything else crossed that they do the right thing and put their collective best feet forward!
Please Nigerians pray! and Nigerian authorities and powers that be – do the right thing and if you haven’t got it in you to do so, then please reach out to those who can – We are many and ready to make Nigeria proud if given the opportunity – If those in possession of the various mantles currently have any interest in any of that – The options are clear..
Ire o!
God bless Nigeria!
Field Marshall!!!
Mr Samuels…my brother.
BREAKING NEWS…., Michael Oliseh has made a U-turn from playing for France Senior team…Unfortunately for us, he chose to play for the Desert Warriors of Algeria….Our administrators are bunch of a mess. To think we can miss out again on Michael Oliseh can not be fathomed….but it is what it is…. Our football administrators have bungled the process again…..so unfortunate…..Our Football administrators need to up their game and stop giving us heart breaks….
Where is Waldrum?