AFCON

Video: Gloomy setting at Pitch Awards as Osimhen, Bassey, Iwobi accept honours after Guinea-Bissau loss

Napoli forward Victor Osimhen, won two honours the same night the Super Eagles lost to Guinea-Bissau at the Moshood Abiola Stadium

Nigeria lost against Guinea-Bissau on Friday night, but Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, Everton’s Alex Iwobi, and other players received accolades at the Nigerian Pitch Awards.

The African Wild Dogs defeated the Nigerian Super Eagles at the Moshood Abiola Stadium with a score of 1-nil, denting their trip to Côte d’Ivoire.

The Super Eagles’ déjà vu loss at the same stadium 364 days later, however, has not stopped the Napoli star and his teammates from receiving recognition from the Nigerian Pitch Awards.

Nevertheless, over a year earlier, the Nigerians who under Augustine Eguavoen’s leadership lost to a nearby neighbour were unable to attend the celebration due to their terrible setback.

But this time, after first exhibiting some hesitation, the Nigerian players walked to the ceremony and brightened up a little with the honours.

Victor Sochima of the Super Eagles and the goalkeeper for Hapoel Jerusalem couldn’t stop Francis Odinaka Uzoho of Omonoia FC from winning Goalie of the Year.

Ajax defender Calvin Bassey won the defender of the year title, besting Porto FC fullback Zaidu Sanusi and Super Eagles vice-captain William Troost-Ekong of Nigeria.

The Napoli striker Victor Osimhen upset Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman to win the Striker of the Year title, while the Toffees midfielder also won the midfielder of the Year honour.

Barcelona Femenine Foward, Asisat Oshoala was also dubbed the Queen of the Pitch award ahead of Gift Monday, while Osimhen was named the King of the Pitch.

After the occasion, a worn-out Osimhen conveyed his gratitude to the organisers and expressed his joy over the prizes.

The Super Eagles will be hoping to rebound as they go to Bissau for the second leg of the AFCON Qualifiers matches against Guinea-Bissau, having recovered from the defeat with the event ceremony.

Ayomide Oguntimehin

Ayomide Oguntimehin is a CAF-accredited sports journalist and an Editor at Soccernet.ng, with a proven track record in conducting interviews with Super Eagles stars such as William Troost-Ekong, Taiwo Awoniyi, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Ademola Lookman, and many others. He has also made a significant impact in breaking transfer news stories. Grounded in video editing, video journalism, social media management, and content strategy, Ayomide brings a wealth of expertise to his work. With a Bachelor's degree in English Language from Adeyemi College of Education and a Master's Degree in School Library and Media Technology from the University of Ibadan, Ayomide is well-prepared to excel in the field.

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