Lookman, Bassey, Osimhen Battle For King Of The Pitch Award

… Nnadozie, Okoronkwo, Ajibade Jostle for Queen of the Pitch

Ademola Lookman, Calvin Bassey and Victor Osimhen will battle for the prestigious King of the Pitch award at the 12th Nigeria Pitch Awards, while Chiamaka Nnadozie, Esther Okoronkwo and Rasheedat Ajibade have been nominated for the Queen of the Pitch honour.

The organisers of the annual awards have announced that the 12th edition will hold on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, at the Ibis Hotel, Toyin Street, Ikeja, Lagos.

President of the Nigeria Pitch Awards, Dr Shina Philips, said the ceremony would go ahead despite recent setbacks suffered by some of Nigeria’s national teams, expressing confidence that Nigerian football would regain its momentum.

“We have absolute confidence in our footballers who are doing well in various leagues across Europe, America, Africa, and other parts of the world,” Philips said in Abuja on Monday.

He said staging the awards at this time demonstrated the organisers’ continued faith in Nigerian football and their commitment to recognising players and stakeholders contributing to the growth of the game.

The 12th edition will feature 18 award categories, with some of Nigeria’s leading football personalities and institutions competing for honours.

Lookman, who won the King of the Pitch award in 2024, will face Fulham defender Bassey and Galatasaray striker Osimhen for this year’s crown.

The Rashidi Yekini Award for Best Striker will also see Lookman and Osimhen battle Nasarawa United forward Anas Yusuf.

In the women’s category, Super Falcons goalkeeper Nnadozie, now with Brighton & Hove Albion Women, will compete against AFC Toronto forward Okoronkwo and Paris Saint-Germain Feminin star Ajibade for the Queen of the Pitch award.

Other major categories include Goalkeeper, Defender, Midfielder, Team and Coach of the Year, as well as the Sam Okwaraji Award, Football Pitch of the Year and Football Friendly Governor of the Year.

The nominees for Team of the Year are Remo Stars, Rivers United and the Super Falcons, while Daniel Ogunmodede, Finidi George and Justin Madugu are in contention for Coach of the Year.

Governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, Dapo Abiodun of Ogun and Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom will contest the Football Friendly Governor of the Year award.

Philips apologised for the delay in staging the ceremony, explaining that the award statuettes and other logistics were already in place but circumstances forced the postponement.

Since its maiden edition in Calabar in 2013, the Nigeria Pitch Awards has recognised outstanding contributions to Nigerian football while celebrating players, coaches, administrators, journalists, sponsors and other stakeholders.