.jpg "Abdul Bashiru, Dream FC")
GFA/PLB awards... Liberty’s Latif Blessing for top prize?
Outstanding footballers in last season’s Ghana Premier League (GPL) will be celebrated tonight when the 2015/2016 Ghana Football Association (GFA)/ Professional League Board (PLB) awards take place at the Banquet Hall of the State House in Accra.
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The awards, which will be in 11 categories, will honour players, coaches, football administrators and other personalities selected from all 16 clubs who excelled during the season’s competition.
The top award of the night, Footballer of the Season, will be contested by topscorer, Latif Blessing of Liberty Professionals, Medeama SC midfielder Kwesi Donsu and Dreams FC left-back Abdul Bashiru.
Blessing, 19, is the favourite for the “Footballer of the Season” award after scoring 17 goals to enable Liberty to finish 13th on the league log to escape relegation. He will also be presented with the topscorer award.
It will, however, not be surprising if Medeama's Donsu clinch it on account of his expertise from dead ball situations.
Donsu scored a total of 15 goals in the course of the season - 10 from free-kicks and an additional five from midfield, an impressive tally for a midfielder.
Dreams FC captain, Abdul Bashiru, is also a longshot for the award after he led the debutants to an impressive eighth-place finish last season.
Bashiru is also in contention for the Best Defender of the Season but he will have to fend-off competition from Kumasi Asante Kotoko skipper, Amos Frimpong, who scored eight goals (seven through penalties) and Accra Hearts of Oak’s Inusah Musah.
The Goalkeeper of the Season contest will be a straight fight between Wa All Stars and Black Stars goalkeeper, Richard Ofori, who won the league title and Joseph Addo of Aduana Stars who finish second on the log.
They are joined in the category by enterprising West Africa Football Academy shotstopper Razak Abalora.
The Most Promising Player of the Season is a contest between Abdul Alidu Hudu (Inter Allies, Enoch Atta Agyei (Medeama) and Mohammed Tarfik while coach Enos Adipa who guided Wa All Stars to the league title has also been tipped to be in pole position for the Coach of the Season Award.
But on the heels of Coach Adipah will be Bechem United coach Manuel Zacharis and Cioba Aristica of Aduana Stars.
Mr Oduro Nyarko (Wa All Stars), Albert Commey (Aduana Stars) and James Essilfie (Medeama) will also vie for the CEO of the Season award.
Below are the other nominees:
Referees of the Season,
SB Bortey
Daniel Laryea
Awal Mohammed.
Assistant Referee of the Season,
Richard Appiah
David Agyin
Haruna Bawa
Match Commissioner of the Year,
Augustine Asante
Lacomba Andrew Dery
Charles Darkwah
Cameraman of the Year
Paul Agbenyagah
Ohene Agyei and
Emmanuel Offei.