Top QFA Awards honours for Afif, coach Lopez
AL Sadd’s mercurial striker Akram Afif was named as the best player for 2021-22 Qatar Football Association (QFA) season, while Al Wakrah manager Marques Lopez won the best coach title as the winners of the 2022 QFA Awards were announced on Wednesday.
Generation Amazing, the humanitarian and social legacy project of the Supreme Committee for Delivery Legacy, was chosen as winner of the Football For All Award due to its great contributions towards spreading the culture of sports and football in particular by expanding the game’s reach for development activities to educate and empower future generations of leaders, in addition to inspiring positive changes.
Generation Amazing implements sustainable programmes that create promising opportunities for community development which will have a long-lasting impact after the end of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
The Board of Trustees of Qatar Football Association Awards announced the winners following a voting process involving many participants including QSL team coaches, Qatar national team coach Felix Sanchez, Qatar Olympic team coach, Club team managers, national team manager and media representatives.
Qatar national team star Afif played a key role in Al Sadd’s outstanding campaign in the QNB Stars League 20212022 season that saw them retaining the Falcon Shield without losing a single game. He netted 14 goals besides assisting on 17 occasions in 18 games during the season.
Afif, who was competing with Al Duhail striker Michael Olunga and Al Wakrah’s Jacinto Dala, won the highest percentage of votes (68 ) to claim the Best Player Award.
However, Olunga claimed the Mansour Muftah Award Top Scorer for his tally of 24 goals from 20 matches in the QSL season.
Coach Lopez was awarded for guiding Al Wakrah to a phenomenal third finish in the QSL as he clinched over 71 percent votes to beat former Al Duhail coach Luis Castro and Al Arabi tactician Younes Ali, who were also shortlisted for the Best Coach award.
Al Gharafa’s Homam Al Ameen took the Best Under-23 Player Award for his impressive performance in the season. The 22-year-old received over 59 percent votes as he competed against Al Rayyan’s Hashem Ali and Salah Zakaria of Al Duhail.
Abdulhadi Al Ruwaili claimed the Best Referee Team Award.
2022 QFA Awards Winners
* Best Player Award
Akram Afif (Al Sadd)
* Best Coach Award
Marques Lopez (Al Wakrah)
* Mansour Muftah Award for Top Scorer
Michael Olunga (Al Duhail)
* Best Under-23 Player Award
Homam Al Ameen (Al Gharafa)
* Football For All Award
Generation Amazing
* Best Referee Team Award Best Referee: Abdulhadi Al Ruwaili
Best First Assistant Referee:
Khaled Ayed Khalaf
Best Second Assistant Referee: Faisal Eid Al Shammari
Best Video Assistant Referee (VAR): Saoud Ali Al Athba.