Ahmed Musa wins Player of the Year award, Ebi clinches women gong
Super Eagles forward Ahmed Musa and Super Falcons defender, Onome Ebi emerged the Players of the Year at the second edition of the NFF Awards held yesterday at the Eko Hotels and Suites.
Musa won the big award of the night afte
r playing a huge part in Nigeria’s biggest football moment of 2018.
He netted a brace to give Nigeria a 2-0 win over Iceland in the second group game of the 2018 FIFA World Cup to give them a chance to progress to the next round although they failed to do so.
With that brace, Musa became Nigeria’s highest goalscorer at the World Cup with four goals.
The Al-Nassr forward beat Odion Ighalo and Alex Iwobi to win the biggest award of the night but he was not around to pick up his plaque due to club engagements.
The first of the brace against
Ic
eland was also named Goal of the Year at the NFF Awards.
Veteran defender Ebi was solid at the back to help the Super Falcons retain the Africa Women’s Cup of Nations (AWCON) title.
Her performances at the tournament in Ghana ensured she was the only on field Nigerian player to make the Team of the Tournament.
She beat her teammates Asisat Oshoala and Francisca Ordega to win the award and was present to pick up her trophy.
Several winners also emerged from the awards night that had all the big wigs of Nigerian football in attendance.
Among them were Villarreal forward, Samuel Chukwueze named Men’s Young Player of the Year following his breakout season in Spain, Nasarawa Amazons star, Anam Imo who beat off competition from Rashidat Ajibade and Chiamaka Nanadozie to win Women’s Young Player of the Year.
Super Falcons boss Thomas Dennerby picked the Women’s Coach of the Year beating Moses Aduku of Bayelsa Queens and Wemimo Matthew of Sunshine Queens.
Dennery led the Super Falcons of Nigeria to their ninth AWCON title with their triumph in Ghana 2018.
It was Enugu Rangers International coach Gbenga Ogunbote who won the Men’s Coach of the Year after leading the People’s Antelope to the 2018 Federation’s Cup title in a thrilling final in October 2018 when they came back from three goals down to win the game against Kano Pillars on penalties.
Ogunbote beat Super Eagles boss Gernot Rohr and Solomon Ogbaide of Lobi Stars to win the award.
Kano Pillars fans were voted Fans of the Year while the Super Falcons won Team of the Year after their 2018 AWCON triumph.
The highpoint of the event was the honouring of the Super Eagles class of 1994 with special trophies.
Among the former Super Eagles stars present were Daniel Amokachi, Austin Eguavoen, Sunday Oliseh, Ben Iroha, Uche Okechukwu and Peter Rufai.
