Abdulrahman Bashir and Emeka Nwabulu have been named among the players to vie for the June edition of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) – League Bloggers Awards (LBA).
The two players put in very important contributions for their clubs in June. Bashir scored three times for Nasarawa United while Nwabulu kept four clean sheets in five appearances for Wikki Tourists.
Bashir has come good this season for Nasarawa United, scoring 11 league goals, after struggling at Enyimba and Lobi Stars since he left ABS FC, the club where he made his name.
However, Bashir and Nwabulu will have to contend with the pair of El-Kanemi Warriors teenage winger Hussaini Bata and Shedrack Oghali of Warri Wolves for the player’s award in June.
Oghali’s return for Wolves in the month under review saw him help the Warri club get a point at Kano Pillars in a 2-2 draw in which he scored both goals. Before then, he netted the equaliser that helped Wolves avoid defeat at home in a 2-2 draw with Heartland having gone two goals down.
Bata scored three important goals at home for his team against Enugu Rangers, Warri Wolves and Abia Warriors to earn himself a place among the NPFL-LBA shortlists.
Four coaches – Gbenga Ogunbote (3SC), Abdu Maikaba (Wikki Tourists), Solomon Ogbeide (Sunshine Stars) and Kabiru Dogo (Nasarawa United) – are the men in line for the manager’s award for June.
Ogbeide is the only man to have guided his side to an unbeaten streak in June in the NPFL this season. His team, Sunshine Stars, picked up eight points out of 12 including a point in the 3-3 draw at Akwa United after clawing their way back from 1-3.
Relegation-threatened Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) under Ogunbote in June got 10 points out of 15, losing just a game out of five to Lobi Stars while they became the first side to claim full points at the Agege Stadium in Lagos against MFM FC.
Maikaba masterminded Wikki’s good show in June from the dugout as they took 13 points out of 18 in six games including a 1-0 win at Ikorodu United and a scoreless draw at Heartland. Wikki also defeated storied oppositions in Enyimba and Kano Pillars in the month under review.
Dogo got among the nominees for June after Nasarawa United’s wins over Oriental teams Enyimba and FC Ifeanyiubah as well as Niger Tornadoes. But they suffered a 0-2 loss at MFM FC in between their decent run in June.
The winners for both NPFL-LBA categories for June will be announced next week.
