Liepāja forward Joseph Oloko Ede has been named the Virsliga’s player of the month for August, while Auda manager Didier Zanetti received the award for the division’s best coach.
Liepāja recorded three wins and two defeats in August. Ede featured in four of those five matches, scoring twice and providing an assist against Grobiņa and Riga, while adding two assists in the victory over Super Nova. He also scored in the defeat by Tukums 2000 but missed the match against Auda through suspension.
The 25-year-old Nigerian finished the month with five goals and four assists. He has now scored 23 goals in the Virsliga this season, four more than Riga forward Muhammed Badamosi. Ede previously won the monthly award in May while playing for Tukums 2000. This is his third season in the Virslīga, having originally joined Jelgava for the 2024 campaign.
Ede began the 2026 season on loan at Tukums 2000, scoring 16 goals in 16 league appearances. Since returning to Liepāja, he has registered seven goals and five assists in nine matches. He scored 11 goals in 26 matches for Jelgava in 2024, before recording one goal and one assist in 19 Virsliga appearances for Liepāja last season.
Zanetti was recognised after guiding Auda to three wins and a draw during August. His side defeated Jelgava, Tukums 2000 and Liepāja, while drawing 1-1 with Super Nova. The French manager, who took charge of Auda at the end of 2025 and led the club to Latvian Cup success, received the Virsliga coaching award for the first time.
The player award was decided through a vote involving sports media representatives and supporters on social media, following nominations from the Latvian Football Federation’s Coaches’ Council and the Virsliga organisation. The coaching award is determined by the Coaches’ Council.
