Sikiru Olatunbosun has emerged the winner of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) Match Day 18 VAT Wonder Goal award, adding to his accomplishment of winning the Cable News Network (CNN) global Wonder Goal award in February 2017.
Goals by Akwa United’s Ifeanyi Ifeanyi, Go Round FC Chidi Nwachukwu and that of Olatunbosun were shortlisted for voting but it was the Mountain of Fire and Miracles (MFM) football club forward that received the highest number of votes from fans in the weekly online poll for goals scored on a match day with 260 of the total 428 votes in favour of his goal against Rivers United at the Agege Stadium on Monday, April 23. Ifeanyi came second with 149 votes and Nwachukwu ended with 19 votes.
In the build up to the first half goal that gave his side the lead, Monsuru Olawale had dispossessed a Rivers United player and pushed the ball to Chukwuka Onuwa who side-stepped his marker to release Olatunbosun. The striker paced forward and arriving close to the edge of the 18 yard box, unleashed a right footed grounder that left veteran goalkeeper, Rotimi Sunday with no response. The fixture would go on to end 1-1 but Olatunbosun’s goal would also catch the attention of the VAT Wonder Goal panelists.
The player joins the list of the season’s winners that include Emeka Ogbugh and Somachi Elum, both of Rivers United and Sikiru Alimi of Sunshine Stars.
He will be presented the ceremonial award plaque during the MFM versus Niger Tornadoes match day 20 fixture at the Agege Stadium on Sunday. The prize money of N150,000 will be shared equally between the player and a charity he will nominate.
The VAT Wonder Goal was introduced in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) by the League Management Company (LMC) and is supported by the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) to strengthen club and community engagement and also create awareness for tax payment within the football community.
