The League Bloggers Award has unveiled its NPFL26 Team of the Season, recognizing the standout performers who delivered exceptional displays throughout the Nigeria Premier Football League campaign.
Rangers International dominate the selection with six representatives, reflecting their consistency across the season. Ikorodu City also earned notable recognition with two players included, while Rivers United, Wikki Tourists, Shooting Stars, and Remo Stars each have one representative in the prestigious XI.
Team of the Season
Goalkeeper
Michael Atata (Ikorodu City)
Defenders
Chibueze Oputa (Rangers International)
Bolu Sholumade (Rivers United)
Chidozie Iwundu (Rangers International)
Kenneth Igboke (Rangers International)
Midfielders
Obinna Nwobodo (Rangers International)
Jonathan Mairiga (Wikki Tourists)
Ayobami Junior (Shooting Stars)
Joseph Arumala (Ikorodu City)
Forwards
Victor Mbaoma (Remo Stars)
Godwin Obaje (Rangers International)
Leading the Team of the Season from the technical area is Fidelis Ilechukwu, whose impressive campaign earned him the coaching honour in this year’s League Bloggers Award.
The NPFL26 Team of the Season celebrates the players and coach whose performances, consistency, and impact made them the standout figures of the league campaign.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
