TheCable

Ayo Saka, Rivers United midfielder, has won the inaugural VAT Wonder Goal of the week award.

Saka beat off a stiff challenge from Enyimba’s Ugochukwu Leonard to emerge winner of the popular votes cast by fans in a poll on the website and Twitter handle of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).

Ugochukwu beat Saka in the Twitter poll, where he earned 47% of the votes while Saka had 38% and Afolabi Abdulwaheed picked up 15%.

Saka, who recently joined Rivers United from Sunshine Stars, edged Ugochukwu by a cumulative vote of 89.5% after he picked up 51.5% of the votes cast by fans on the NFF website.

Abdulwaheed of Gombe United finished third with 25.6%.

Saka’s winning goal from 12 yards out was scored in the match against Nasarawa United. It was the only goal of the fixture.

The VAT Wonder Goal is an initiative of the League Management Company (LMC) to enhance club-community engagement and also support the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) mass campaign on tax education.

Saka will receive N150, 000 from which he will donate 50% to a charity of his choice in Rivers state where his club is based.

The prize money will be presented at the next home fixture of Rivers United after their continental engagement in Uganda on Sunday.