Nigeria Popular Stand Awards 2023: How Fans Voted for Nigerian Football Stars Online

 Victor Osimhen, Chiamaka Nnadozie, Michelle Alozie, Joseph Atule...Win Fans Vote Online

Nigeria Popular Stand Awards (previously called Popular Side Awards) is a kind of mock Nigeria Football Awards aimed at capturing the votes and opinions of the ordinary fans out there.

Nigeria Popular Stand Awards (NPS Awards) is organized by Fantaxtik sport marketing and management company in Lagos Nigeria. We believe that the fans are the real consumers of the sport and should be the ones voting for this yearly award winners. 

We know Nigeria Football Awards uses a different criteria in voting with coaches, team captains and selected sports journalists. But Popular stand Awards always provide a kind of equalizer for the organizers. 

In this year's edition of NPS Awards, over 2.3 million Nigerian football fans voted online, which comprised of 57% votes from fans residing in Nigeria, 43% diaspora votes. 

Note: This isn't the Official Nigerian Football Awards organized by Nigeria Football Federation, but a Mock Awards capturing fans votes online. 

This year, Nigeria Women Player of the Year Award raised so much dust than the previous years. It was a strong contest between, Assisat Oshoala, Chiamaka Nnadozie, Rasheedat Ajibade and Christy Ucheibe. 

Despite the fact that Assisat Oshoala was the only African player nominated in this year's Ballon d'Or, she didn't gathered as much vote online and end up third place behind Chiamaka Nnadozie and Rasheedat Ajibade. 

There was no contest for Nigeria Player of Year Award. For the first time, a nominee got 100% votes. Hardly do you find such a thing happen when it comes to fans opinion. Victor Osimhen clearly won Nigeria Player of the Year Award, but had a keen contest from Michelle Alozie, when it came to the Media buzz award. 

Osihmen's name filled the airwaves both in Italy and Nigeria when he became the major spotlight after Napoli won Seria A for the first time after 38 years. 

But Michelle Alozie became the darling of Nigerian media and fans due to her sterling performance during the FIFA Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, especially when England's Lauren James step on her hips out of frustration and was red carded. Alozie became the global spotlight for weeks. 

1. Nigerian Player of the Year Award

Nominees: Victor Osimhen, Terem Moffi, Moses Simon

Winner: Victor Osimhen

2. Nigerian Women Player of the Year Award

Nominees: Assisat Oshoala, Chiamaka Nnadozie, Rasheedat Ajibade, Christy Ucheibe

Winner: Chiamaka Nnadozie

3. Coach of the Year

Nominees: Randy Waldrum (Super Falcons Head Coach), Finidi George (Enyimba head coach) , Daniel Ogunmodede (Remo Stars, Chief Coach)

Winner: Randy Waldrum (Super Falcons Head Coach) 

4. Nigerian League Player of the year

Nominees: Chukwuemeka Obioma (Enyimba) , Joseph Atule (Lobi Stars now in Enymba), Albert Korvah ( Rivers United) 

Winner: Joseph Atule (Lobi Stars, now in Enymba) 

5. Nigerian League Coach of the Year

Nominees: Finidi George (Enymba Coach), Paul Offor (Sporting Lagos), Daniel Ogunmodede (Remo Stars) 

Winner: Finidi George (Enyimba Head Coach) 

6. Media Buzz Award of Player

Nominees: Victor Osimhen, Michelle Alozie, Chiamaka Nnadozie, Ashleigh Plumptre

Winner: Michelle Alozie

7. Media Buzz Award of Club

Nominees: Remo Stars, Bendel Insurance, Sporting Lagos

Winner: Sporting Lagos

8. National Team of the Year

Nominees: Super Falcons, The Falconets, Flying Eagles

Winner: Super Falcons

9. Football Administrator of the Year

Nominees: Samuel Dare (Former minister of Sports), Nkechi Obi ( Chairperson, Nigeria Women Football League), Glenga Elegbeleye (Chairman Interim Management Committee NPFL)

Winner: Nkechi Obi (Chairperson NWFL)

10. Rising Star of the Year

Nominees: Oluwatosin Demehin (Stade de Reims), Deborah Abiodun (Pittsburgh Panthers), Opeyemi Ajakaye (Robo Queens) 

Winner: Oluwatosin Demehin (Stade de Reims),

Congratulations to all of our award winners. We are hoping that someday in the future, we are able to stage this award as a different brand, which may only be comparable to Nigeria Football Award.