Ghana’s star performers at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, Wakaso Mubarak and Fatau Dauda, have been nominated for honours at the second National Player Awards (NPA) slated for next month. Black Stars midfielder, Rabiu Mohammed, also earned a place among the nominees to challenge his teammates for the Black Stars Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. In addition to the nomination for the MVP award, Wakaso — who made his Nations Cup debut at the South Africa tournament earlier this year — will also pick the award for the team’s top scorer. Out of the 16 matches that the Stars played in the year under review by the awards organisers, Wakaso has scored seven goals. The awards were instituted last year by Proton Sports Services and the Retired National Footballers of Ghana (RENFAG) to recognise and honour the exploits of retired national stars as well as those in active play. Africa’s first medallists in football at the Olympic Games, Black Meteors, will also be honoured with the Old Generation Award in recognition of their achievement at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona where they finished as bronze medallists. The 1998-99 squad of the Black Queens will also receive the Old Generation Award for being the first senior team to take Ghana to the World Cup. Mr. Kurt Okraku, the Executive Secretary of the NPA told the Graphic Sports yesterday that the list of nominees arrived after a careful and diligent work done by a panel of judges for the awards. He said the main aim of the awards was to say “ayekoo’” to the old stars who did their best to get Ghana’s name high on the international pedestal and also motivate active players to also give of their best when national duties call. Mr Okraku said even though the awards were for all the national teams, there would be no honours for the local Black Stars and the current Black Meteors as they were yet to engage in any competitive matches in the year under review. There would also be no award for the top scorer for the Black Queens as none of the players scored the minimum of three goals required to be nominated. The other nominations are: Black Starlets: Top scorer: Emmanuel Boateng MVP nominees: Emmanuel Oti, Thomas Agyapong and Kingsley Fobi Black Maidens: Top scorer: Jane Ayieyam MVP nominees: Priscilla Okyere, Sherifatu Sumaila, Jane Ayieyam Black Princesses: Top scorer: Eiizabeth Addo MVP nominees: Elizabeth Addo, Mercy Myles, Janet Egyir Black Queens: MVP nominees: Janet Egyir, Leticia Zikpi, Edem Atovor