Super Eagles stars Victor Osimhen, Calvin Bassey, Super Falcons striker Asisat Oshoala and legendary Nigeria international Chief Segun Odegbami were among winners at the 2021 The Ballers Awards.
The fourth edition of The Ballers Awards was held on Sunday, 12 June, 2022, at Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Other recipients include Joe Aribo, Zaidu Sanusi, Maduka Okoye, Ahmed Musa, Kennedy Boboye, Paul Onuachu and Anayo Iwuala.
Present at Sunday’s awards were NFF’s first Vice President, Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi; Chief Segun Odegbami; Group Managing Director, Complete Communications Limited, Dr. Mumini Alao and Chairman Lagos State Sports Commission, Sola Aiyepekun.
Also present were renowned radio/tv sports presenters; Deji Omotoyinbo, Charles Anazodo, Mozez Praiz and Big Brother Naija Lockdown Housemate, Ozoemena who presented one of the awards.
In the awards categories, Osimhen won both Forward of the Year and Baller of the Year for male, Bassey got the Revelation of the Year award, Chief Odegbami was handed the Legendary Baller award, Onuachu was awarded Super Eagles Goal of the Year and Oshoala was the recipient for both the Fans’ Favourite Baller and Female Baller of the Year awards.
The Goalkeeper of the Year went to Maduka Okoye, Sanusi was picked as the Best Defender of the Year, Aribo was awarded Midfielder of the Year, Super Eagles skipper Musa was named Humanitarian of the Year, Boboye was voted Coach of the Year, Esperance of Tunisia forward Anayo Iwuala was awarded Best Local Based Player and Ajani Waheed went home with Most Promising Baller.
Also Read: Peseiro: Sao Tome A Good Side, We Must Not Underrate Them
And in other awards categories, Akinwunmi bagged the Excellence in Leadership award and veteran journalist Kunle Solaja got the Industry Icon of the Year award.
Also, Shina Oludare of goal.com won Best Print/Online, the Best TV/VLOG was awarded to Hindsight Podcast while Justina Aniefiok won Best Sports Photography.
Representatives collected the awards for most of the winners who were not present at the event.
There were music, dance and comedy performances to entertain the guests.
Former Nigeria internationals like Joe Erico, Barnabas Imenger, Justice Christopher, Yisa Shofoluwe, who recently passed away were all remembered by the organizers of the award.
Also remembered were Complete Sports founder and Nigeria sport icon Dr. Sunny Emmanuel Ojeagbase and former NFF Technical Director Kashimawo Laloko.
Speaking after the awards, founder of Naijafootballers organizers of The Ballers Awards, Gbenga Salu, thanked everybody who made out time to be at the award.
“Let me use this opportunity to say a big thank you to everybody who attended this award I can’t thank you enough. You made it possible by making out time to be here.
“We look forward to the next edition which will come up next year and we hope it would be bigger that what we just witnessed because we always pray that the new edition is bigger than the previous. So once again I want to say a big thank you to everybody I’m grateful.”
Winners at the 2021 The Ballers Awards:
– REVELATION OF THE YEAR
Calvin Bassey
– FANS’ FAVOURITE BALLER
Asisat Oshoala
– GOAL KEEPER OF THE YEAR
Maduka Okoye
– DEFENDER OF THE YEAR
Zaidu Sanusi
– MIDFIELDER OF THE YEAR
Joe Aribo
– FORWARD OF THE YEAR
Victor Osimhen
– BALLER OF THE YEAR – MALE
Victor Osimhen
– BALLER OF THE YEAR – FEMALE
Asisat Oshoala
– HUMANITARIAN OF THE YEAR
Ahmed Musa
– MOST PROMISING BALLER
Ajani Waheed
– COACH OF THE YEAR
Kennedy Boboye
– SUPER EAGLES GOAL OF THE YEAR
Paul Onuachu VS LESOTHO
– BEST LOCAL BASED PLAYER
Anayo Iwuala
– BEST TV/VLOG
Hindsight Podcast(YOUTUBE)
– BEST PRINT/ONLINE
Shina Oludare (goal.com)
– BEST SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY
Justina Aniefiok
– INDUSTRY ICON OF THE YEAR
Kunle Solaja
– EXCELLENCE IN LEADERSHIP AWARD
Seyi Akinwunmi
– LEGENDARY BALLER
Segun Odegbami
By James Agberebi
4 Comments
This will surely encourage the players to do more. Calving Basset though…I wonder if that guy na political mẹ tality he get ..hi will just chicken out and say…I’m still young let the older guys continue to play the number 3 position . This guy came from no where and displaced everyone. Of course His team mate at the club level and national team would have impacted so much in his uprising and confidence building in the national team. Well done bro. Ademola abeg no look face o….enter field make you displace anyone wey no ready to wake up and play ball well for naija
What award did odegbami get?For what reason? After conspiring to kill Nigerian football? Who gave him the award? Based on what? Why is it that he is the only one shown here in what was supposed to be active footballers award ceremony? This country!
A deserving award. Thanks and keep it up Odegbami. You always open our eyes to indigenous potentials that will grow our sports, which is the only way to go as Europeans are doing for themselves. Unfortunately, the eyes of many Nigerians done see and their minds don’t understand that this is our magic wand now, they will do later with continue6 conversations. Internalized colonialism which make us to distrust ourselves and agency is not easy to erase.
But we will never give up.
I raise my hat for you
@Akunde, I must say that you are so myopic in your thoughts………..name one indigenous coach that has the pedigree to tinker SE to success and back it up with statistics of his achievements.
If you can’t do this simple task, then shut up your mouth for ever