Zongo get seven nominations at 46th SWAG Awards

Zongo.MailNovember 3, 2021

299 3 minutes read

The list of potential awardees for the 46th Sports Writers of Ghana (SWAG) Awards has been released with Zongo grabbing seven nominations.

Two foreign-based Black Stars players, three other players and two Coaches in the domestic terrain complete a list of seven named in five separate categories of the prestigious Awards event to be held in December.

Coach Karim Zito, Coach Yussif Basigi, Mohammed Kudus, Kamaldeen Sulemana, Abdul Fatawu Issahaku, Ishmael Abdul Ganiyu and Female Footballer Jafar Rahama were named in a list of nominees made up of 43 Sports Personalities and 7 institutions.

Kudus Mohammed; Black Stars/ Ajax. (Nominee for SWAG foreign-based Footballer of the Year)

Coach Zito is in contention for the Coach of the year Award as Fatawu Issahaku goes in for the Discovery of the Year Award, as both played a significant roles at the success story of the Black Satellite in winning both the WAFU and AFCON Under 20 championships.

While Ajax star Mohammed Kudus contests for the foreign based Male Footballer of the Year Award, his other two Brothers in the Black Stars, Fatawu Issahaku and Kamaldeen Sulemana, face each other in the Discovery of the year category.

Kudus comes into contention with Daniel Amartey of Leicester City and Jonathan Mensah of Columbus Crew.

Kamaldeen Sulemana: Black Stars/Stade Rennais. (Nominee for SWAG Discovery of the Year)

For Fatawu and Kamaldeen, they will meet Berry Ladies’ Constance Serwaa Agyemang.

Abdul Fatawu Issahaku: Black Stars/ Dreams FC. (Nominee for SWAG Discovery of the Year)

Each competitive category has a shortlist of three or four nominees and it’s Coach of the triumphant National U20 Karim Zito who clashes with Coach of Hasaacas Ladies Yussif Basigi for the Coach of the Year award.

Both Coaches have their respective huge success stories to present for the Award program which sponsored by MTN.

Coach Karim Zito led the Black Satellite to win the WAFU and AFCON U20. (Nominee for SWAG Coach of the year)

While Zito comes in with his continental doubled glory after winning both the WAFU and AFCON U20 Trophies, Basigi walks chest high after leading Hasaacas ladies to winning the domestic treble and qualified them to the maiden Women Champions League after winning the WAFU ‘B’ TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Champions League qualifiers tournament.

Coach Yussif Basigi of Hasaacas Ladies(Nominee for SWAG Coach of the year)

But both will have stiffer opposition from Hearts of Oak’s Coach Samuel Boadu, who also won the domestic treble and Amateurs Boxers Coach Ofosu Asare.

Asante Kotoko’s Ishmael Abdul Ganiyu earned a call up the Black Stars following a fine season in the. GPL (nominee for SWAG male footballer of the year)

For Kotoko’s Ishmael Abdul Ganiyu, his nomination for the the Premier League Player of the year comes at the back of his impregnable defensive role for the Porcupines, which eventually earned him a call up to the Black Stars.

He faces stiff opposition from Daniel Afriyie Barnieh, who a continental double with the Black Satellite and GPL Goal king Diawusie Taylor.

Rahama Jafar had a splendid season with Northern Ladies.

Jafar Rahama comes in as the only female among the Zongo Sports seven goin for an Awards.
Rahama, who has joined Hasaacas Ladies after last season has the chance of becoming the Female Footballer of the year following his exploits with Northern Ladies last season.
She had wonderful performance in the Women’s FA Cup, scoring nine goals to grab the top goal scorer prize.She was also named NASCO Player of the Match three times during the 2020/21 league season.

But her chances can be blocked by Constance Agyemang and Janet Agyiri who both had a spectacular season with Berry Ladies and Hasaacas, respectively.

The SWAG Awards is a platform to honor and reward outstanding sports personalities in the previous years and also serves as a motivation for athletes to excel in other to get the tag “SWAG Award Winner.”

The list also includes the SWAG Top 5 where Federations that had little or no support but was active in the year under review will be ranked through voting.

The 46^th edition of the unbroken SWAG Awards is scheduled for December 2021.

Shortlist of nominees below :

Sports Personality of the Year