NFF unveils monthly awards to celebrate football players' performances

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has announced the launch of Federation's Monthly Awards.

The award will serve as a celebration of the outstanding performances of Nigerian football players across various Football Leagues including Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL.

Also, the NFF Monthly Awards aim to honour the brilliance, dedication and passion that Nigerian football players bring to the game, recognising the top players who have left their marks on the pitch.

According to the NFF, the Award categories include Player of the Month (Male & Female); Goal of the Month; Discovery of the Month and the Nomination Process.

It said the nomination process for the awards is scientific, ensuring a fair and accurate selection of nominees.

The NFF said that an independent organisation would collect and analyse players’ statistics throughout the month, ensuring that the best performances are highlighted.

The soccer ruling body in the country, said, "This unbiased and data-driven approach guarantee that the nominations reflect the top-performing players based on their contribution to their teams, the Federation.

"Nominations for the first round of awards will be announced today (October 3, 2024). From there, voting will be opened to fans and journalists alike, making this a truly inclusive and engaging event for the Nigerian football community."

As for the voting process, the NFF said that fans and journalists wouls have the chance to vote for their favourite players via the official NFF voting portal on the website www.thenff.com.

It said the voting period would run for one week following the announcement of the nominations.

Fan Votes will account for 40% of the final decision, enabling supporters to have their voices heard and directly influence the outcome of these prestigious awards.

The remaining 60% will be determined by journalists and industry professionals, ensuring a balanced and well-rounded selection process, the NFF said.

Speaking on the launch of the awards, NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, said: “The NFF Monthly Awards are a key part of our efforts to further elevate Nigeria football, not only by recognising outstanding talent but by engaging with fans and the media in a way that brings the football community closer together. We believe that this initiative will encourage excellence on the field and foster a deeper connection between players and their supporters.

“The NFF Monthly Awards are a step forward in celebrating the rich and growing talent pool, and we look forward to the excitement that the awards will bring to fans, players and the media,” Sanusi stated.

He said nominations announcement would be 3rd October, 2024; voting, 3rd October – midnight of 7th October, 2024.