Sports
NNL Awards outstanding performers
The Nigeria National League, NNL, has announced the winner of their monthly award for December 2025 and January, February 2026.
For December 2025, Ajibola Joel of Stormers SC emerged as the highest goal scorer, while Emmanuel S. Daniel of Ranchers Bees FC claimed the Best Goalkeeper award.
Akwa United head coach, Paul Offor was named best coach for the month, while Kada Warriors FC won the Best Behaved Team award.
The Most Valuable Player (MVP) award was awarded to Yaro Zakari of Yobe Desert Stars FC, while Daniel Gothom of Akwa United FC scored the Goal of the Month. Akporogene Ajigeye was named the best referee.
In January 2026, Tony Ayang of Rovers FC finished as the highest goal scorer, while Aloysius Thankgod of Akwa United FC was awarded Best Goalkeeper.
Ofor continued his impressive run by winning the best Coach award again for the month, while Rovers FC also picked up the Best Behaved Team award.
The MVP honour for January went to Victor Samuel of Sporting Lagos FC, while Babarinde Taofeek of Gateway FC was recognised for scoring the Goal of the Month. Eke Henry was named Best Referee. For February 2026, Innocent Idi of City FC finished as the highest goal scorer, while Alo Chukwu Pascal of Abakaliki FC was named Best Goalkeeper.
The best coach award once again went to Paul Ofor of Akwa United FC, completing a remarkable three-month sweep.
Lobi Stars FC were named best behaved team for the month, while Obisesan Sodiq of Osun United FC earned the Most Valuable Player award.
The Goal of the Month award went to Jaffar Ojo of Smart City FC, while Mudashir Shehu of was recognised as the best referee.
The presentation of the award will hold on Monday 30th March 2026.
A well-known football pundit in the State, Chief Christopher Okonkwo has lauded the efforts and vision of the Super Eagles Coach Eric Chelle for going from one venue of the Nigeria Domestic Nigeria Professional Football League match to the other in monitoring Nigerian players, with a view to invite some exceptional good one discovered into the main stream of the Super Eagles team.
Okonkwo, who made the commendation in an interview at the Port Harcourt Club recently, described the positive move by Coach Chelle as a good step in the right direction, noting that the practice was how its been done in the past among any contracted coach assigned to tinker the Super Eagles team.
“Truly, it has been an old tradition in the country seeing any newly engaged Coach to lead the National team, visiting some our Nigeria League venues during the league matches to spot light some good talents that could be used to beef up some grey areas in the department of Eagles team”
He, however, frowned at the current situation where our coaches had continously been over depending on the use of foreign based players during invitation of players to the National camp, thereby, relegating the domestic home based league players to the background as if they have nothing much to offer to the team.
“I can vividly recall that the likes of great players in the mode of Finidi George, Taribo West, Kanu Nwankwo, Austin Okocha, Richard Owobokiri, Emmanuel Osuigwe among others started from Nigeria football league before they graduated to play in Europe through which they later invited to Super Eagles camp to represent Nigeria”
“Besides, I’m also of the view that going to secondary school football competitive games could equally serves as a a good platform to discover budding talents that could be nurtured to become great stars in near future”, Okonkwo frankly added.
Okonkwo, therefore, prayed that any football coach to be engaged by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to tinker the Super Eagles should be told not to confine himself in staying in big hotel alone but to be visiting some of our local league match venues, with a view to discover some good players that can be drafted into the Super Eagles team.
“Indeed, I stand to be challenged that there some young good players in the Nigeria Professional League. If spotted and exposed, could give the some of the invited foreign based players a stiff competitive fight in securing a postion in the team”, Okonkwo emphatically stated.
Ezechukwu, one of the youngest members of the Nigerian contingent at the championship in Ghana, said her ambition was to win the 100m title in style and cap it with a new personal record.
The fresh secondary school graduate explained that she is fully focused on contributing to Team Nigeria’s medal hopes and is determined to deliver strong performances across her events.
“My main objective in Ghana is to clinch the 100m title and the 4×100m,” Ezechukwu told Tidesports source.
“Nigeria can be assured of my very best and my commitment to the Team. I would love to set a new personal best in Ghana, but anything that comes, I will take it. The spirit in the team is high, and I think we are ready to go,” she said.
Ezechukwu, who was part of Nigeria’s women’s 4x100m relay squad at the World Relays in Botswana, said the experience gained from that competition has strengthened her mindset heading into the continental championships.
She admitted that she learned valuable lessons from her previous outing, including a difficult moment during the relay where an early error affected the team’s rhythm, but said she has used the experience to improve her discipline and composure.
“The secret is just being disciplined, training hard and trusting my coach and believing in God, and the result will show,” she added.
The teenager is part of a 41-member Nigerian team comprising 24 female and 17 male athletes competing at the championships, which begin today at the University of Ghana, Legon.
Nigeria are expected to compete across multiple track and field events as they aim for a strong finish against the continent’s elite athletes.
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