Matchmakers Consult President, Shina Phillips, whose outfit organises the yearly Nigeria Pitch Awards, has pledged that the 2023 edition will live up to its billing as the country’s number one football awards.
Voting for the 2023 edition will start on December 1 and end on January 16, while the awards will hold in March, next year. At an event organised to unveil the voting process and other features of the awards in Lagos on Tuesday, Phillips said the organisers share a common goal with every Nigerian, which is working towards making the country a great footballing nation.
“As organisers of this prestigious football award, we remain committed to our core principles of credibility, transparency and integrity. From inception, we set out by adopting a voting system that is transparent.
“Our voters, who are sports editors and journalists across the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, our partners, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and SIAO Partners, have remained committed to the success of the Nigeria Pitch Awards,” he said.
Philips, who took time to appreciate the media for their support in the last eighth editions of the awards, also congratulated the newly elected NFF president, Ibrahim Gusau, saying, “over the years, he has been a passionate supporter of football in Nigeria and his contributions to the growth of our football, especially at the grassroots level, have not been in doubt
“He is a consummate administrator and team-player. We, therefore, unreservedly express our confidence in his ability to deliver on his mandate and move our football forward.”
Also speaking at the event, NFF Director of Communications, Demola Olajire, said: “People have said that this period is a time for sober reflection because Nigeria is not at the World Cup. But I believe that we need challenges like this possibly to make things better.
“This award is not only a reward for great performances, but also to encourage and motivate our players for better performance next time. I believe that the sky will be the limit very soon,” he said.