SUPER Eagles and Arsenal forward Nwankwo Kanu, Eagles captain Austin 'Jay Jay' Okocha and Chelsea defender, Celestine Babayaro have been pencilled down as recipients of this year's national honours award. The Governor of Ogun State, Segun Osoba, confirmed this yesterday while briefing State House correspondents on the decisions of the council of state meeting held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The soccer stars are among the 204 distinguished Nigerians selected as beneficiaries of the national awards. According to Osoba, "Nwankwo Kanu is not only being honoured as somebody who has contributed immensely towards football, but for the courage he displayed. Here is a man who had a heart disability, he overcame the disability. He didn't stop there, he still set up a foundation to help children who have the same problem. He has successfully sent Nigerian children to Israel for treatment. The government felt that this is a worthy example of an international figure."

The selection of football stars for this year's awards may have rested the controversy which greeted the last exercise in 2000 when no sportsman was honoured. Sports analysts and fans alike did not take the development lightly, hence they went about criticising government for not encouraging and appreciating sports stars who have distinguished themselves in their sports endeavours. Osoba revealed that Kanu, Okocha and Babayaro are to be given the national award of the OON.