NPLF dolls out N2m to league’s goal king, best coach

From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja

The Nigerian Premier Football League (NPFL) has dolled out a whopping N2 million to last season’s best coach, Daniel Precious Ogunmodede of Remo Stars and the highest goal scorer, Anas Yusuf who netted 18 goals. 

Chairman of the elite league body, Gbenga Elegbeleye, made the disclosure at the official presentation of the award trophies in Abuja on Tuesday.

He explained that while the sponsor of the league gave out N1.5 million, the league body completed the payment by adding the remaining N500,000.

According to the league boss, “We are not just giving thim trophy but a price tag of N2 million. While our partner brought N1.5 million, the league management completed it with N500,000,” he said.

Appraising the league, Elegbeleye said: “We saw outstanding coaches and players. Looking at what happened in last season, we discovered that the club that won the league scored more goals both home and away. Nobody will doubt or disprove the fact that Remo.Stars coach won the coach of the season. He proved himself and earned it.”

“As for the highest goal scorer, he proved that he merited it. I am proud to say again that people complain about our performance in CHAN but when he played in our last match and was able to prove his rating as the highest goalscorer with the fantastic goal he scored.

“He is going to be the best thing to happen to Nigerian football and we will not be surprised that in the next six years his name will ring bell when he is mentioned, especially when he will give Nigeria the desired goals when we meet other countries, he said.

Speaking further, he said: “Let me say that we are running a system that credibility is our watchword. We have made it in such a way that the league will start when it is supposed to start and finish when it will finish. We don’t shift the goal post at the middle of the match.

“As we are finishing one season, we will announce when the next one will start and end. We have been able to do this in the past two seasons. We will not change the date. That is how it is done in Europe that the world is hailing them,” he said.