Babalola Oluwatomiwa
Social Member
The League Management Company, the administrative body of the Nigeria Professional Football League have revealed that it has concluded plans to reward exceptional players, clubs and stakeholders at the end of the season.
The LMC also disclosed that the highest goal scorer award would be named after late Rashidi Yekini, who still holds the highest goal scoring record for Nigeria.
“There is a broad plan to institute awards and honour outstanding players, officials, key stakeholders and fans in the league at the end of every season and there are a number of factors that led us to reach the decision to name one of these awards, that of the highest goal scorer after the late Rasheed Yekini. The awards is part of strategic plans of the LMC to create commercial value and additional revenues out of the assets inherent in the league property.
"We considered the aspiration factor which seeks to let the players know that they too can become national heroes if they achieve excellence and make a success of their career. It says to them that they too can become legends of the game and the society will honour them as we have sought to honour the late Yekini”, Dikko further explained.
The LMC Chairman disclosed that a monetary incentive and other social benefits will be attached to the awards, adding that in the case of the highest goal scorer award, “we have received a request from the Rasheed Yekini Foundation to provide additional cash support to the winner and we are studying their proposal. There are already plans to officially unveil the special trophy for this award at one of the league game venues”.
Dikko said the NPFL Awards is a long term project of the LMC open to corporate sponsors in both headline and other supporting categories for which some corporate firms are already holding talks with the LMC on their potential participation in the NPFL Awards.
Yekini started his football career with United Textile Mills Limited (UNTL) Kaduna before teaming up with the then IICC Shooting Stars, now Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) of Ibadan and finally, the defunct Abiola Babes before he joined Africa Sports of Cote d’ Ivoire.
Born on October 23, 1963, the one-time Africa Footballer of the Year died on May 4, 2012. LMC
The LMC also disclosed that the highest goal scorer award would be named after late Rashidi Yekini, who still holds the highest goal scoring record for Nigeria.
“There is a broad plan to institute awards and honour outstanding players, officials, key stakeholders and fans in the league at the end of every season and there are a number of factors that led us to reach the decision to name one of these awards, that of the highest goal scorer after the late Rasheed Yekini. The awards is part of strategic plans of the LMC to create commercial value and additional revenues out of the assets inherent in the league property.
"We considered the aspiration factor which seeks to let the players know that they too can become national heroes if they achieve excellence and make a success of their career. It says to them that they too can become legends of the game and the society will honour them as we have sought to honour the late Yekini”, Dikko further explained.
The LMC Chairman disclosed that a monetary incentive and other social benefits will be attached to the awards, adding that in the case of the highest goal scorer award, “we have received a request from the Rasheed Yekini Foundation to provide additional cash support to the winner and we are studying their proposal. There are already plans to officially unveil the special trophy for this award at one of the league game venues”.
Dikko said the NPFL Awards is a long term project of the LMC open to corporate sponsors in both headline and other supporting categories for which some corporate firms are already holding talks with the LMC on their potential participation in the NPFL Awards.
Yekini started his football career with United Textile Mills Limited (UNTL) Kaduna before teaming up with the then IICC Shooting Stars, now Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) of Ibadan and finally, the defunct Abiola Babes before he joined Africa Sports of Cote d’ Ivoire.
Born on October 23, 1963, the one-time Africa Footballer of the Year died on May 4, 2012. LMC