Baraje, Bashir are NPFL-LBA winners for July

Plateau United coach, Zachary Baraje, and Nasarawa United striker, Abdulrahman Bashir, have emerged as the Manager and Player for July in the Nigeria Professional Football League-League Bloggers Awards.
Baraje and Bashir were named among eight shortlists earlier this week by the LBA to compete for honours in the month of July.
The Plateau United trainer beat the trio of Kabiru Dogo of Nasarawa United, Imama Amapakabo of Enugu Rangers and FC Ifeanyiubah’s Rafael Everton to win the manager’s award for the month under review.
The Jos club under Baraje, especially since his return from suspension after an initial poor run of results at the start of the season, have moved out of the drop zone and the month of July was instrumental in achieving that feat as they lost just once at Lobi Stars. Baraje’s men notched up 10 points last month, a feat only equalled by Nasarawa United.
However, Baraje and his team did the job mostly on the road – winning at Abia Warriors and MFM FC – and also getting just a win and a draw against champions Enyimba and Akwa United respectively leaving his other contenders Amapakabo and Everton, who guided their teams to unbeaten run, with no chance to upstage his July performance with Plateau United in July.
In the player’s category, there was no doubt about the man who would claim the NPFL-LBA individual prize. Bashir was in the thick of things attacking-wise for Nasarawa United and his goals helped them win 10 points out of 15 available last month.
He scored a goal each in all five matches in July against Rivers
United, 3SC, Sunshine Stars, Ikorodu United and El-Kanemi Warriors to fend off any sort of challenge from Plateau United goalkeeper, Danladi Isah, Fortune Omoniwari of Akwa United and Kingsley Eduwo of Lobi Stars.
The LBA will present Baraje and Bashir their awards on a later date.