EJIKE UZOENYI, REUBEN GABRIEL In Tight Race For Bloggers Award, Other Nominees Announced

Candidates for the end-of-the-season League Bloggers Award (LBA) have been picked by the organizers.

The League Bloggers Award will be competed for in ten categories by actors and participants in the 2011/2012 Nigeria Premier League (NPL) season.

Also there will be Special Recognition to corporate bodies on the award day for their support to the nation's top flight.

The ten categories to be competed for are Rookie of the Year, Best Goalkeeper, Best Foreigner, Club of the Year, Best Designed Club Jersey, Highest Goal Scorer Award, Manager of the Year (NPL), Manager of the Year (Africa), Best National Team Player and Player of The Year.

Head of the LBA, Ojeikere Aikhoje, revealed that the panel for the award had to add the Best Goalkeeper as a way to support the men between the sticks.

"Goalkeepers have often been relegated to the background in our league. Concentration has often been on the strikers but we want to show that the goalkeepers are important elements in any team by adding an award for them," Aikhoje explained.

There will be two categories for the Manager of the Year and Aikhoje explained the rationale behind it.

"We will have two awards in the Manager of the Year. One is for the NPL and the other is for managers, whose teams competed or are still competing in Caf club competitions. It is a way to encourage them to put in their best," said Aikhoje.

The end-of-the-season League Bloggers Award for the Nigerian top flight, organised by three bloggers, is expected to hold in Lagos in October.

The LBA also organised of the monthly award in the Nigerian top flight between January and August this year.


Nominees & Categories

1. Rookie of the Year

•Solomon Jabason (Akwa United)

•Austin Amutu (Warri Wolves)

•Andrew Abalogu (ABS)

•Bright Esieme (ABS)


2. Best Goalkeeper

•Femi Thomas (Akwa United)

•Moses Ocheje (Sunshine Stars)

•Theophilus Afelokhai (Kano Pillars)

•Chigozie Agbim (Warri Wolves)


3. Best Foreigner

•Ousmane Pape Sane (Sharks/Senegal)

•Tamen Medrano (Sunshine Stars/Cameroon)

•Pierre Coly (Sharks/Senegal)

•Adama Coulibaly (Warri Wolves/Mali)

•Owusu Addae (Dolphins/Ghana)


4. Club of the Year

•Kano Pillars

•ABS

•Lobi Stars

•Enugu Rangers


5. Best Designed Club Jersey

•3SC (OWU)

•Warri Wolves (NOMIS)

•Kano Pillars (Cone)


6. Highest Goal Scorer Award

•Sibi Gwar - 16 goals


7. Manager of the Year (NPL)

•Okey Emordi (Enugu Rangers)

•Dominic Iorfa (Lobi Stars)

•Baba Ganaru (Kano Pillars)


8. Manager of the Year (Africa)

•Maurice Cooreman (Warri Wolves)

•Gbenga Ogunbote (Sunshine Stars)

•Lodewijk de Kruif (Heartland)

•Stanley Eguma (Dolphins)


9. Best National Team Player

•Ejike Uzoenyi (Enugu Rangers)

•Chigozie Agbim (Warri Wolves)

•Reuben Gabriel (Kano Pillars)

•Azubuike Egwuekwe (Warri Wolves)


10. Player of The Year

•Reuben Gabriel (Kano Pillars)

•David Tyavkase (Lobi Stars)

•Godfrey Oboabona (Sunshine Stars)

•Sibi Gwar (Niger Tornadoes)


SPECIAL RECOGNITION

•Dubic Beer

•ULO

•SuperSport

•Lucozade Sport