League Bloggers Awards Celebrate Nigerian Football Excellence as Mbah, Soname, Rangers and Nwobodo Lead Legacy Honours

The League Bloggers Awards (LBA) celebrated outstanding achievements across Nigerian football, recognising distinguished administrators, clubs, players, coaches, and corporate partners for their contributions to the growth of the domestic game.

Legacy Awards

Enugu State Governor, His Excellency Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, received the LBA Legacy Award in the Governor Category in recognition of his support for sports development and football infrastructure.

The LBA Legacy Award for Infrastructure and Sustainability was presented to Hon. Kunle Soname, Chairman of Remo Stars Sports Club, for his long-term investment in football development.

In the NPFL Stars Legacy Awards, veteran Kano Pillars duo Ahmed Musa and Rabiu Ali were honoured for their remarkable contributions to the Nigeria Premier Football League.

Former Sharks FC striker Davidson Owumi, the first officially recognised top scorer in the old Nigerian Division One League in 1985, received the LBA Legacy Award for his historic achievement.

Special Recognition for Brand Support

The League Bloggers Awards also recognised outstanding corporate partners for their commitment to Nigerian football through club sponsorships:

BetKing – Ikorodu City
Afrinves – Rangers International
Eunisell – Abia Warriors
Bet9ja – Remo Stars

Ikorodu City was further honoured with the Sponsorship Innovation Award for its outstanding commercial initiatives.

Award Winners

Best Young Player

Alex Oweilayefa (Bendel Insurance) – Winner
Douglas Iyowuna (Rivers United)
Chimaobi Igwillo (Rangers International)
Musa Malik (Ikorodu City)
Adeoye Aderemi (Ikorodu City)
Mmesoma Nnorom (Kun Khalifat FC)

Best Newly Promoted Team

Barau FC – Winner
Wikki Tourists
Kun Khalifat FC
Warri Wolves

Goalkeeper of the Season

Michael Atata (Ikorodu City) – Winner
Lucky Jimoh (Rangers International)
Osagie Onisedumeya (Rivers United)

Defender of the Season

Chidozie Iwundu (Rangers International) – Winner
David Sholumade (Rivers United)
Kenneth Igboke (Rangers International)

Midfielder of the Season

Ayobami Junior (Shooting Stars) – Winner
Tosin Oyedokun (Ikorodu City)
Rabiu Ali (Kano Pillars)

Goal of the Season

Joseph Atule (Barau FC vs El-Kanemi Warriors) – Winner
Ahmed Musa (Kano Pillars vs Enyimba FC)
Hadi Haruna (Remo Stars vs Barau FC)
Farouk Umar (Plateau United vs Rivers United)
Jonathan Mairiga (Wikki Tourists vs Remo Stars)

Club of the Year

Rangers International – Winner
Rivers United
Shooting Stars
Ikorodu City
Highest Goal Scorers

The league’s joint highest goalscorers, each with 14 goals, were honoured with special awards:

Jonathan Mairiga (Wikki Tourists)
Victor Mbaoma (Remo Stars)
Godwin Obaje (Rangers International)
Special Recognition

Obinna Uzoha of Kun Khalifat FC received the LBA Special Recognition Award (Coach/Club) for his outstanding contribution to the club’s progress.

Coach of the Season

Fidelis Ilechukwu of Rangers International emerged as Coach of the Season, finishing ahead of Finidi George (Rivers United), Nurudeen Aweroro (Shooting Stars), and Bright Ozebagbe (Ikorodu City).

Player of the Season

Rangers International midfielder Chidiebere Nwobodo was crowned the LBA Player of the Season, following an outstanding campaign that saw him edge fellow nominees Joseph Arumala (Ikorodu City), Godwin Obaje (Rangers International), Ayobami Junior (Shooting Stars), Victor Mbaoma (Remo Stars), and Jonathan Mairiga (Wikki Tourists).

The 2026 League Bloggers Awards once again highlighted excellence across the Nigeria Premier Football League, celebrating individuals, clubs, administrators, and corporate partners whose contributions continue to drive the growth and development of Nigerian football.

Samuel Ahmadu

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.

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