Nigeria: Pitch Awards - Osimhen, Oshoala in Hot Race to Retain Titles

press release

There are 18 categories in all where winners will emerge on Friday night.

Reigning King of the Pitch and Queen of the Pitch, Victor Osimhen and Asisat Oshoala respectively, are in with excellent chances of retaining their awards at the 9th Nigeria Pitch Awards

The ceremony for this year's edition will hold at the Great Margaret Hall of the John Woods Hotel, Abuja, on Friday evening.

Osimhen, with 23 goals in 28 matches for Italian Serie A side Napoli this season, is currently one of the world's leading marksmen.

His four goals have helped the Italian club reach the quarterfinals of Europe's top club competition, UEFA Champions League, for the very first time.

At the international level, his four goals against Sao Tome and Principe in a 2023 AFCON qualifier in Agadir, Morocco, nine months ago helped Nigeria to a record international win of 10-0.

The gangling young forward has recently won the Best Foreign Athlete and Player of the Month awards in Italy.

He battles Ademola Lookman, Alex Iwobi and Paul Onuachu.

Oshoala, who features for FC Barcelona Femenin in Spain's top division, scooped the Pichichi Award as the league's joint-highest goalscorer with 20 goals, which helped her club win the league title.

Her club also won the Spanish Super Cup. She is in a contest with Super Falcons' teammates Rasheedat Ajibade and Gift Monday.

There are 18 categories in all where winners will emerge on Friday night: King of the Pitch; Queen of the Pitch; Striker of the Year; Goalkeeper of the Year; Defender of the Year; Midfielder of the Year; Team of the Year;

There is also the Coach of the Year; Sam Okwaraji Award; State With The Best Grassroots Football Development Programme; Football Pitch of the Year; Football-Friendly Governor of the Year; Corporate Sponsor of the Year; Sportsmanship Award; Football Journalist of the Year-Print;

Football Journalist of the Year-TV; Football Journalist of the Year-Radio and; Football Journalist of the Year-Online.

The Flamingos, bronze medallists at the FIFA U17 Women's World Cup in India, battle Rivers United and Remo Stars for Team of the Year, and Rivers United's Stanley Eguma tops the list for Coach of the Year, which also has Gbenga Ogunbote and Bankole Olowookere.

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