There has been another Port Harcourt city win in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) VAT Wonder Goal Award series and it is Sochima Elum who has made it a second win for Rivers United as he followed on the footsteps of his tame mate, Emeka Ogbugh. Ogbugh won the Match Day 15 award.
Goals from Wikki Tourists Abubakar Umar, El-Kanemi Warriors Anthony Yeful and Elum of Rivers United made the shortlist for Match Day 17 but it was the strike from Elum that secured the highest votes after fans picked their choice on the NPFL website and twitter handle.
A total of 226 fans voted on the two platforms and Elum led comfortably on both. The Rivers United forward polled 50 out of 55 website votes and of the total of 171 fans that polled on twitter, 74 went to him.
Abubakar Umar of Wikki Tourists came second with 5 votes from the website polls and won an impressive 63 of those who cast votes on twitter. While Yelful of El-Kanemi secured no votes on the website, 34 fans preferred his goal on the twitter poll.
Elum’s goal, in contention as one of the fastest goals of the season, saw him netting within 10 seconds in the only goal of the fixture between Rivers United and Nasarawa United in Port Harcourt. Sandwiched between two markers, Elum had confidently flicked the ball up in between the two and then hit a volley that sailed to the roof of the goal post, leaving the goalkeeper hapless.
Elum will be presented the ceremonial award plaque during the Rivers United versus Abia Warriors Match Day 17 fixture at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium in Port Harcourt 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 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.
