Sports
CAF Awards: Gusau hails Osimhen, Oshoala, Nnadozie, Falcons as Nigeria win big in Morocco
President of Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau was a very happy man on Monday night, as Nigeria swept important honours at this year’s CAF Football Awards held in Marrakech, Morocco.
The NFF supremo was personally present at the Hotel Movenpick and collected the first honour that came Nigeria’s way – Women’s National Team of the Year. He dedicated the award to all women football teams on the African continent.
Chiamaka Nnadozie, who shone brightly at the FIFA World Cup finals in Down Under this year summer as the Super Falcons reached the Round of 16, was the undoubted winner of the honour of Goalkeeper of the Year (Women). The Paris FC of France safe hands made a moving speech: “To all the young girls growing up in Africa, dreaming of becoming a footballer one day, believe me dreams do come true. My dad didn’t want me to play football but I’m sure he’s gonna see this and be happy. So, keep dreaming, keep working and I believe that one day you’ll get to this stage.”
After Asisat Oshoala won a record-extending sixth award as Player of the Year (Women), the auditorium went silent as it was time to present the men’s version. Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen, Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi and Egypt’s Mohamed Salah were the final three.
Osimhen was crowned, becoming the first Nigeria player in 24 years to take the gong. The last person was Nwankwo Kanu, back in 1999. Kanu also won in 1996, after Rashidi Yekini in 1993 and Emmanuel Amuneke in 1994. Victor Ikpeba took the crown in 1997.
Gusau said: “I am very excited tonight. This has been hugely rewarding for our football and for our country as a whole. I congratulate Osimhen, Oshoala and Nnadozie, and I congratulate the Super Falcons as a team for bringing us this honour.
“My charge would be that they all keep doing what they know how to do best, keep improving and keep winning. The sky will be the beginning for them.”
Osimhen became the first player in the history of the African Football Awards to have been crowned Player of the Year (Men) after having pocketed the Young Player of the Year (Men) in an earlier year. Only last Monday, the 24-year-old was crowned the 2022/2023 Player of the Year in Italy’s Serie A, after having won the Young Player of the Year in the same league in the 2021/2022 season.
Sports
Nigeria Wheelchair Basketball Federation Commends BetKing for its Support to the Sport
The President of the Nigeria Wheelchair Basketball Federation, Seyi Johnson, has praised the Corporate Social sagacity of BetKing for it’s support to the growth of the Sports in the Country.
Wheelchair Basketball which represents one of the fastest growing Para-Sports in the Country, has been boosted with the partnership and Sponsorship from BetKing.
The President of the Federation, Seyi Johnson said BetKing has shown that they are a true lover of Nigerian Sports and special sports in particular, with all its doing for the Federation.
” On behalf of the Nigeria Wheelchair Basketball, the entire board and every stakeholder in the Sport, I want to personally appreciate BetKing for all they are doing.
” Words are too few to express my sincere gratitude to them because they have really shown that this is where their mouth is, with the kind of support we are getting from them”.
” When we approached them , it was just like they were already expecting us and they showed us that they truly understand the Nigeria Sports history and the role Special Sports have been playing in the country’s success at International competitions over the years”.
The President of the Federation added that they need more of such support from the Corporate bodies to complement what the Government is doing, especially when you look at the restructuring and revamping going on in Nigerian Sports at the moment with the coming of the National Sports Commission, NSC.
” We need more of the Corporate players to come assist and follow in the footsteps of BetKing and with that we will see rapid growth of Nigeria Para-sports “,he stated.
He concluded by revealing that the Nigeria Wheelchair Basketball team has a very good chance of qualifying for it’s first ever Commonwealth Games in Glasgow next year when the qualifiers hold later this year in South Africa and BetKing has been playing a major role to ensure this is achieved.
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