Allen And Igbinoba Emerge Winners Of September League Bloggers Awards

The League Bloggers Awards (LBA) has announced Festus Allen of Sharks and Esosa Igbinoba of Nasarawa United as winners of the Manager and Player awards respectively for September in the Glo Premier League.

Allen and Esosa played active roles in their team’s run in the month under review to edge other contenders for the awards.

Sharks manager, Allen saw his team begin the month of September deep in relegation and two places away from safety. They were also two points below the drop zone.

However, the Blue Angels under Allen succeeded in turning around their poor run by battling out of the drop zone with wins over champions Kano Pillars, FC Ifeanyiubah and fellow relegation-threatened rivals, Dolphins.

At the end of September, Allen ensured Sharks finished two points adrift the drop zone.

The Sharks gaffer edged Kabiru Dogo of Nasarawa United, Abdu Maikaba of Wikki Tourists and Gbenga Ogunbote of 3SC to the manager’s award though the like of Kadiri Ikhana of Enyimba and Imama Amapakabo of Enugu Rangers also came close in the race.

Igbinoba clearly made himself a visible figure in the scheme of things for Nasarawa United in the month of September from his midfield position. The attacking midfielder scored four times including twice at title contenders, Sunshine Stars, to inflict a 3-2 defeat on the Akure club. The Nasarawa United man’s other goals came against Rangers and Warri Wolves.

The trio of Bayelsa United striker Bernard Ovoke, Tope Orelope of 3SC and Sharks defender Gabriel Olalekan were pipped to the player’s award by Igbinoba.

Allen and Igbinoba will receive their awards for manager and player respectively later this month.

Kabiru Dogo wins League Bloggers Award

LBA winners this season

March 2015
Player: Ebere Odiche (Heartland)
Manager: Tony Ogharanduku (FC Taraba)

April 2015
Player: Ibrahim Shuaibu (Giwa FC)
Manager: Tony Bulus (Giwa FC)

April winners of League Bloggers Award. Giwa FC duo of manager Tony Bulus and striker Ibrahim Shuaibu

May 2015
Player: Tunde Adeniji (Sunshine Stars)
Manager: Kennedy Boboye (Sunshine Stars)

June 2015
Player: Ocheme Edoh (Giwa FC)
Manager: Abdu Maikaba (Wikki Tourists)

July 2015
Player: Ndifreke Effiong (Abia Warriors)
Manager: Paul Aigbogun (Warri Wolves)

August 2015
Player: Anthony Okpotu (Lobi Stars)
Manager: Kabiru Dogo (Nasarawa United)

League Bloggers Awards Announces Nominees For September

The League Bloggers Awards (LBA) has named eight actors in the Glo Premier League as the men in contention for the Player and Manager gongs for the month of September.

Four managers, Abdu Maikaba of Wikki, Gbenga Ogunbote of 3SC, Festus Allen of Sharks and Kabiru Dogo of Nasarawa United have been nominated.

Esosa Igbinoba of Nasarawa, Bayelsa United striker Bernard Ovoke, 3SC’s Tope Orelope and Sharks defender Gabriel Orelope are in the running for the player’s award.

Gbenga Ogunbote, Coach 3SC

The eight men have been picked after due consideration and sifting of all 80 matches played in the month under review in the Nigerian top flight.

The quartet of Allen, Dogo, Maikaba and Ogunbote were the top performing coaches having taken charge of four matches apiece – all losing one each.

In the players’ category, Ovoke made a stake with a hat-trick performance while Igbinoba’s goalscoring form ensured he got in the mix of the nominees for September.

Surprise nominees are the duo of Orelope and Olalekan. Orelope’s drive and guile in midfield was one of the major reasons for 3SC’s strong show in September.

Olalekan played in all of Sharks’ four matches and put in a massive shift in defence which saw them finish the month of September as the best defensive side.

Winners for the September award will be announced on Monday.

Maikaba, LBA Winner June

LBA September Nominees

Managers
Abdu Maikaba
Gbenga Ogunbote
Festus Allen
Kabiru Dogo

Players
Bernard Ovoke
Esosa Igbinoba
Gabriel Olalekan
Tope Orelope

Dogo, Okpotu Claim League Bloggers Awards For August

Kabiru Dogo of Nasarawa United and Anthony Okpotu of Lobi Stars have been named the Manager and Player for August in the Glo Premier League by the League Bloggers Awards (LBA).

In the month under review, Dogo and Okpotu clearly underscored their performance in the top flight with the former leading Nasarawa United to eye-catching displays and impressive outcomes while the latter’s goals were pivotal in their push out of the drop zone.

For the manager’s category, Dogo stood out among the other three nominees, Kadiri Ikhana (Enyimba), Gbenga Ogunbote (3SC) and Stanley Eguma (Dolphins).

Though the shortlisted managers for the August award was whittled down to Dogo and Ikhana based on similarities in points amassed by their teams being 13 apiece, the Nasarawa United trainer edged his Enyimba counterparts on two fronts.

Dogo ensured that his team held a superior goal difference than Ikhana’s Enyimba in August. Only Sunshine Stars, whose manager, Kennedy Boboye, was not in the running, had the best goal different in the month under review.

The Nasarawa United man also guided his team to claim the most points on the road, being four, including a 2-1 away win at Kano Pillars to bring to a halt a 12-year-old unbeaten home record held by the champions.

Okpotu was one of the nominees in the month of July for the LBA player’s gong but missed out to the impressive Abia Warriors attacking midfielder, Ndifreke Effiong.

But this time, the Lobi Stars striker, who has earned himself the moniker ‘The Panther,’ for exhibiting aggressiveness, pace, intelligence and strength which are qualities found in the evasive predator, racked up enough reasons to shake off the close challenge of Sunshine Stars and Super Eagles winger, Prince Aggreh as well as the duo of Aniekpeno Udoh of Akwa United and Stephen Adah of FC Taraba for the prize.

Aggreh and Okpotu scored six goals apiece in August and their goals also helped their teams to three wins each last month. But Okpotu shaded Aggreh to the LBA gong by netting two goals on the road at difficult venues against Enyimba and Kano Pillars while the Sunshine Stars man got all of his six in home matches.

Dogo and Okpotu will be presented their awards in a later date in September by the LBA.

LBA winners this season

March 2015
Player: Ebere Odiche (Heartland)
Manager: Tony Ogharanduku (FC Taraba)

April 2015
Player: Ibrahim Shuaibu (Giwa FC)
Manager: Tony Bulus (Giwa FC)

May 2015
Player: Tunde Adeniji (Sunshine Stars)
Manager: Kennedy Boboye (Sunshine Stars)

June 2015
Player: Ocheme Edoh (Giwa FC)
Manager: Abdu Maikaba (Wikki Tourists)

July 2015
Player: Ndifreke Effiong (Abia Warriors)
Manager: Paul Aigbogun (Warri Wolves)

August Nominees for League Bloggers Awards Emerge

The League Bloggers Awards (LBA) has named eight actors in the Glo Premier League as frontrunners for the Manager and Player’s awards for the month of August.

In the Manager category are Enyimba’s Kadiri Ikhana, Kabiru Dogo of Nasarawa United, Gbenga Ogunbote of 3SC and Stanley Eguma of Dolphins.

Prince Aggreh of Sunshine Stars, Stephen Adah of FC Taraba, Aniekpeno Udoh of Akwa United and Lobi Stars striker, Tony Okpotu are in the running for the player’s award for the month under review.

The winners for both categories will be announced on Thursday.

How nominees emerged for Manager’s category

Enyimba Coach Kadiri Ikhana

Kadiri Ikhana: The Enyimba gaffer produced an almost flawless performance performance with his team‎, winning three matches and drawing four in the match under review without losing. His team finished August with 13 points.

Kabiru Dogo: August will be a month to remember for the Nasarawa United manager. His team started August losing 3-1 at Dolphins but clawed back into reckoning with four wins including a historic 2-1 win at Kano Pillars to finish last month on 13 points.

Gbenga Ogunbote: His team, 3SC, won four matches and lost three in August including a 3-1 win at Heartland. Ogunbote and his men took 12 points out of 21 available.

Dolphins Coach: Stanley Eguma

Stanley Eguma: I am sure this will come as a surprise. His team, Dolphins, topped the like of Wolves, Wikki, FC Ifeanyiubah, Abia Warriors and Giwa FC who they amassed same number of points (11) with. His team won three, drew two and lost two matches.

How nominees emerged for Player’s category

Tony Okpotu: The Lobi striker scored six goals in seven games including two on the road at Kano Pillars and Enyimba. His goals was pivotal in Lobi moving out of the drop zone.

Prince Aggreh: The Sunshine Stars winger also scored‎ six goals (all at home) including a hat-trick. But failed to net on the road.

Aniekpeno Udoh: The Akwa United man scored four goals in August including a brace against Sharks. One of his goals came in the 1-1 at Bayelsa United.

Stephen Adah: Another of my surprise inclusion. The FC Taraba man scored three goals including the winners against Sunshine Stars and ‎Kano Pillars. Though he netted on the road at Lobi Stars, it was insufficient as FC Taraba lost 1-2.