The Nigerian capital, Abuja, is set for one of the biggest football event of the year, the 2015 Glo-CAF Awards, which enters its 24th edition this year.
The ceremony to give honour to distinguished football personalities for their exploits during the year under review – 2015 will take place on Thursday, 7 January 2016 at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.
Despite the exploits of the likes of Odion Ighalo, no Nigerian player is nominated to be the King of African football, with anyone of the trio of Yaya Toure, winner of the last four editions, Gabonese forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Ghana’s Andre Ayew expected to cart home the coveted award.
However, top Nigerian athletes and sportspersons feature prominently in other categories and are odds on favourites to go home with honours.
In the Women Player of the Year category, Nigeria’s Ngozi Ebere will fancy her chances of emerging as the Queen of African Football.
Golden Eaglets heroes Kelechi Nwakali and Victor Osimhen are both nominees for the Youth Player of the Year award while the Nigerian duo of Azubuike Okechukwu and Etebo Oghenekaro are among a five-man list looking to be named Africa’s Most Promising Talent.
Ex-international, Emmanuel Emenike, who led Nigeria’s U-17 side to World Cup glory will hope that feat is enough to secure him the award of Coach of the Year, and his young side the National Team of the Year.
It’s a straight fight though with the African-conquering National U-23 team as Coach Samson Siasia will look to erase the disappointment of not being considered for the Best Coach award by winning the Best Team award.
Surprisingly, No Nigerian female side made the shortlist of the Women National Team of the Year category.
Below are the Nigerian nominees for the various categories in alphabetical order;
Women Player of the Year
· Gabrielle Onguéné, Cameroon
· Gaelle Enganamouit, Cameroon
· Ngozi Ebere, Nigeria
· N’rehy Tia Ines, Cote d’Ivoire
· Portia Boakye, Ghana
Youth Player of the Year
· Adama Traore, Mali
· Kelechi Nwakali, Nigeria
· Samuel Diarra, Mali
· Victor Osimhen, Nigeria
· Yaw Yeboah, Ghana
Most Promising Talent
· Azubuike Okechukwu, Nigeria
· Etebo Oghenekaro, Nigeria
· Djigui Diarra, Mali
· Mahmoud Abdelmonem ‘kahraba’, Egypt
· Zinedine Ferhat, Algeria
Coach of the Year
· Baye Ba, Mali, U17
· Emmanuel Amunike, Nigeria U17
· Fawzi Benzarti, Etoile Sportive de Sahel
· Hervé Renard, Cote d’ivore
· Patrice Carteron, TP Mazembe
National Team of the Year
· Cote d’Ivoire
· Ghana
· Mali U17
· Nigeria U17
· Nigeria U-23