The Nigeria Football Federation has given the go-ahead to sports consultancy and management company, Matchmakers Consult International, to organise the Nigeria Pitch Awards, an annual awards ceremony for all categories on the football field.
Matchmakers Consult International, which organised the highly successful two-day FIFA/NFF Players’ Agents Workshop in Lagos last year, also received the approval to put together an international charity football match and a seminar on ‘Kicking Out Human Trafficking from Football’ on the margin of the awards ceremony.
In its letter of approval, the NFF referred to the successful two-day FIFA/NFF Players’ Agents Workshop organised by the company and said it was looking forward to a truly glamorous Nigeria Football Awards that will be fulfilling all sectors and stakeholders.
The Chief Executive Officer of Matchmakers Consult International, Mr. Shina Philips, said: “This is magnificent. We are excited at the opportunity to organise a show-stopping football awards that will reward persons in all playing positions on the field, as well as officials, players’ agents, state governments and the media.
“We are very appreciative of the NFF for giving us this go-ahead and we will strive to do even better than we did for the Players’ Agents Workshop. We will consult all stakeholders and midwife a process that will give birth to a credible selection and awards programme that will leave no one in doubt about its transparency.
“Already, we are in the process of contracting an international rating agency that will verify and guarantee the transparency and veracity of the entire awards process. Nothing will be taken for granted. Of course, this awards is NFF’s way of showing appreciation to our numerous footballers and stakeholders, and it is open to players within and outside the country.”
The annual red carpet and glamour show will be preceded by an international seminar on ‘Kicking Human Trafficking Out of Football’ while the international charity match will be held with the support of international football and human trafficking agencies across the globe.
Some of the football megastars pencilled down for the match are former World Player of the Year and World Cup winner, Zinedine Zidane (France); another former World Player of the Year and World Cup winner, Ronaldinho (Brazil); former African Player of the Year award winners Didier Drogba (Cote d’Ivoire), Nwankwo Kanu (Nigeria), Samuel Eto’O Fils (Cameroon), Emmanuel Adebayor (Togo), Victor Ikpeba (Nigeria), as well as Jay Jay Okocha (Nigeria), Teko Modise (South Africa) and Joseph Yobo, Captain of Nigeria and the country’s record international player.
The objective of the match is to draw international attention to the problem of human trafficking in football and proceeds from the gates will be donated to the fight against human trafficking in the game.