Football's Most Bizarre ‘Man Of The Match’ Awards
Man of the Match awards have become a staple in the footballing world. Typically something simple, such as a bottle of bubbly or a sponsored product shoehorning itself into the frame. However, sometimes these awards can get wildly creative. Here are some of the most bizarre Man of the Match awards dished out across football.
A Mountain Bike
In the 1995 Scottish League Cup final, current Aberdeen boss Stephen Glass received the man-of-the-match as a 19-year-old whilst playing for the Dons in their victory over Dundee. As a result, he was presented with a mountain bike – courtesy of sponsors Coca-Cola – by former Great British Bake Off host Sandi Toksvig. Former Dundee gaffer Neil McCann also received this award in the following years’ final after his Hearts side lost to Rangers.
A Live Chicken
Watching your teams’ players perform well can make your entire weekend, and one fan in Poland likes to express his gratitude. A local chicken breeder and supporter of Gornik Zabrze once offered up one of his prized possessions, presenting the man-of-the-match with their very own live chicken.
This is not the only instance in which a man-of-the-match has been rewarded with live poultry. In 2019, a fan of Malawi’s Nyasa Big Bullets also decided to part with one of his chickens, handing striker Hassan Kajoke the fowl in a cardboard box as a thank you for his brace.
Mobile Phone Data
With Telkom the sponsors for South Africa’s domestic cup, man-of-the-match winners are presented with 5GB of mobile phone data for their fantastic performances. To top it all off, they are given a gargantuan sim-card shaped award for the perfect photo opportunity.
A Credit Card
The sponsors of South Africa’s domestic top division also hand out some fantastic man-of-the-match awards. Banking company Absa present winners with a colossal credit card preloaded with over £100 worth of credit. A nice monetary bonus for a solid performance, but a slight inconvenience when it comes to attempting to stick it in your wallet.
24 Crate of Beer
Alcohol is not an uncommon man-of-the-match prize in football. The Premier League dishes out a bottle of Budweiser for every match’s best performer. However, in Zimbabwe, they multiply the quantity by 24. Castle Lager are the sponsors of the nation’s top-flight and ensure that the recipients of man-of-the-match awards are given plenty of samples of their product.
A Pair of Sliders
In a Ghanaian Division One League fixture in 2015, Dreams FC’s Emmanuel Sowah Adjei was handed a pair of Adidas sliders for his stellar performance by match officials, despite the competition not being sponsored by the German sports giant.
Burger King Equipment
In 2017, Lanus forward Lautaro Acosta was presented with a brand new barbecue grill courtesy of Supercopa sponsors Burger King. The fast-food chain also supplied Acosta with his very own name-branded apron. The following year, Argentine international and River Plate goalkeeper Franco Armani was literally crowned man-of-the-match when he was given one of Burger King’s famous crowns. Typically made of paper and reserved for children, Armani was donning a metal crown for the camera in his post-match interview.