Rabiu Ali describes VAT Wonder Goal award as fantastic wedding gift

Rabiu Ali

A day after he completed marriage rites to Mariam at a colourful wedding ceremony, Rabiu Ali was presented his VAT Wonder Goal award before an impressive turn out of fans at the Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano.

The event, held before the much anticipated traditional rivalry fixture between Kano Pillars and Rangers International, was incidentally the first game open to fans since crowd incident at the stadium earlier in the season and which led to a ban.

Ali, who has nominated Nasarawa Children Orphanage Home, Kano as his preferred charity, described the award as a perfect wedding gift which will serve as a motivating factor to achieving greater things in his career.

Mr. Sam Pavou, the Kano State Coordinator of the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS), performed the handing over ceremony of the N150, 000 ceremonial cheque to Ali for his goal in Ilorin, which was adjudged the best for Matchday 26.

The FIRS official confessed to not having seen matches of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) lately but expressed delight at the turn out of fans and the competitive display by players of the two teams.

He commended the teams and remarked that it is the quality and standard of their game that attracted the over 20,000 fans, arguing, “beautiful football often attracts fans to the stadium.

“I am happy to say that the NPFL had really taken a different dimension compared to what was obtainable in the last 10 years. The crowd here is a glaring sign of a better organization and total football. I strongly believe that sustenance is key to making it a global standard. That is the only way we can produce players who can compete favorably in continental or world tournaments,” stated Pavou, who represented the Chairman of FIRS, Babatunde Fowler.

On hand to support the FIRS at the presentation was Salihu Abubakar, the Chief Operating Officer of the League Management Company (LMC).

Ali scored his wonder goal in a 1-1 draw at Abubakar Bukola Saraki (ABS) FC, beating off competition from Tchato Giscard of MFM FC and Abia Warriors Yakub Hammed.