With the 2012/13 Glo Premier League, otherwise known as the Globacom Premier League season over, I take a look back at the good and bad moments that characterised the season. Check out the awards of the season here:

Champions of the season

Kano Pillars rode on the back of their invincibility at home to win the title for the second successive season. Only Lobi Stars took points off them at home and they did not falter even when they were banished to play home games in Abuja and Lokoja after crowd disturbances.

Photo-finish to the season

In a long while, I cannot remember a season in which the top four ended with one point separating each team. Kano Pillars ended as champions on 63 points, Enyimba followed on 62 while Bayelsa United and El-Kanemi Warriors finished in third and fourth positions respectively with 61 and 62 points accordingly.

Same goes for the relegated four of ABS, Kwara United, Wikki Tourists and 3SC. All four had a fighting chance of survival until the very last minutes on the final day of the season.

Fastest Goal

Dolphins midfielder, Austin Ekpoma scored the fastest goal of the season. Before Enugu Rangers could settle down inside the Liberation Stadium, the former Gombe United man scored in 15 seconds of the game on August 25.

Top Scorer

No matter what a lot of people have said about the manner with which Victor Namo of Nasarawa United emerged the leading scorer, it was a breakout season for the striker. He scored 19 goals including his double strike against champions Kano Pillars in Lafia on September 8.

Man of the Season

A number of players readily come into the picture for my man of the season but I’ll go for Kano Pillars playmaker, Rabiu Ali, ahead of the duo of Oghenekaro Etebo of Warri Wolves and Enyimba captain, Chinedu Udoji. Ali was central to Kano Pillars’ run to reclaiming their league title.

Best Goalkeeper

There were several goalkeepers who distinguished themselves in the immediate past season in my own book. Theophilus Afelokhai (Kano Pillars), Terkaa Melai (Lobi Stars), Olufemi Kayode (Akwa United), Ayo Segun (Wikki Tourists) and David Obiazor (El-Kanemi Warriors) were among those that impressed me. But Enyimba goalkeeper, Femi Thomas stood out as he complemented his back four’s solidity.

Coach of the Season

It is not often you witness a coach guide his team to back-to-back titles in the Nigerian league. Mohammed Baba Ganaru of Kano Pillars is my coach of the season. Sharks gaffer, Gbenga Ogunbote, comes close in second and Zachary Baraje of El-Kanemi Warriors is third.

The Miracle Worker

Sharks head coach, Gbenga Ogunbote, masterminded one of the greatest revival in the premier league era. Indeed the former Sunshine Stars coach, against all odds, pulled off one of the greatest escapes in the Nigerian top flight by rescuing the Blue Angels from relegation after they had been written off.

The Great Escape

After finishing the first round of the season in bottom place, Sharks looked like a team heading for life in the lower division. The Blue Angels then clawed back their way from sitting in the bottom spot for 13 match days to finish in a respectable eighth position.

Bizarre Fall

The relegation of Kwara United is most unusual to me. After emerging as the team with most won points on the road being 13, Samson Unuanel’s men went down to the National League after struggling to a 1-1 draw on the last day with Akwa United.

It even got worse when city rivals, ABS, also got relegated on the final day of the season though the Saraki Boys hardly got into second gear during the season. So there will be no Ilorin derby in the top flight next season.

Six in the City

Relegated ABS remain the only team to score six goals in a single match. The Saraki Boys plundered six past hapless Nembe City in Ilorin on October 16. The game ended 6-1 with Kadiri Aminu and Abdulrahman Bashir scoring a brace of goals each while Thomas Zenke and Ibrahim Abdullahi scored one apiece before Frank Egharevba netted City’s consolation goal.

Team of the season

Femi Thomas (Enyimba) – Bright Esieme (Enyimba), Chinedu Udoji (Enyimba), John Uche (Kwara United), Jonathan Zikiye (Nembe City) – Azubuike Okechukwu (Bayelsa United), Rasheed Olabiyi (Enyimba) – Rabiu Ali (Kano Pillars), Oghenekaro Etebo (Warri Wolves) – Victor Namo (Nasarawa United), Mfon Udoh (Akwa United). Coach: Mohammed Baba Ganaru (Kano Pillars)

The Revolving Doors of Coaches

Three coaches, Ndubuisi Nduka (Heartland), Abimbola Samuel (Sunshine Stars) and Alphonsus Dike (Nasarawa United), readily come to mind as men in the dugout who got fired this season. In their places came in Ramson Madu, Fatai Amoo and Kadiri Ikhana respectively. Also, Lobi Stars vice chairman, Dominic Iorfa, who worked as head coach, decided to bring in Evans Ogenyi to take charge of the playing personnel while he focused on the day-to-day administrative schedule of the Makurdi club.

Shock Deaths

In the course of the season, two players passed on. First, Warri Wolves midfielder, Solomon Oboh died in a motor accident in June and in October, 3SC striker, Moses Ogaga passed away after battling illness for several weeks.

Landmark moves by the LMC

Some followers of the Globacom Premier League had their doubts and still do about the League Management Company (LMC). But the company achieved a handful of ground-breaking moves in the area of partnership including a $34 million TV broadcast rights deal to run from 2015 to 2019.

The LMC also instituted the financial merit award in the just-concluded season in which all 20 participating clubs shared N50 million (around $62, 500) according to their final standings.