Qatar’s Hassan clinches the 2018 AFC Player of the Year award in Muscat
MUSCAT: Abdelkarim Hassan, the Qatari defender, was somewhat surprisingly named the men’s AFC player of the year in Oman on Wednesday and promptly said he wanted to play in Europe.
The 25-year-old admitted even he did not expect to win the award as he was up against Kento Misao and Yuma Suzuki, who were part of the Kashima Antlers team which won the AFC Champions League.
“I hope after winning to get a chance to play in Europe, I have the mentality to play in European leagues,” he said.
Hassan added: “Being nominated with two Japanese players was an honour, and I did not expect to win.”
A former Qatari young player of the year, Hassan currently plays for Al Sadd in the same team as Barcelona great, Xavi Hernandez.
However he has played in Europe for the Qatari-owned Belgian league side, KAS Eupen.
Hassan was loaned out to the Belgian First Division A side by Al Sadd for 10 matches last season.
He has made 69 appearances for the Qatari national team and is likely to be one of the players who features prominently for the Gulf country when they host the World Cup in 2022.
There was consolation for Japanese stars in other categories however.
Former Japan captain Makoto Hasebe was named Asian International Player of the Year.
Hasebe, currently with German first division side Eintracht Frankfurt, skippered the only Asian team to reach the knockout stage this year in Russia in his third World Cup as Samurai Blue captain.
Men’s coach of the year was Japan’s Go Oiwa, boss of the Kashima Antlers.
Asako Takakura, the manager of the Japanese national team, won women’s coach of the year.
And China’s Wang Shuang was named the women’s player of the year.
WILD BOARS HONOURED
Wild Boars FC of Thailand were presented with the AFC president’s Special Recognition Award.
Wild Boars FC were presented the award in recognition of their extraordinary bravery and resilience displayed by the 12 boys and their coach, who were trapped in the depths of the Tham Luang cave in Chiang Rai.
The team will be invited to witness the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 match between Thailand and India in Abu Dhabi on Jan 6.
Pol Gen Somyot Poompanmoung, president of the Football Association of Thailand, received the award from AFC president Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa on behalf of the team.
“On behalf of the Wild Boars FC, I would like to thank the AFC and the AFC President for this award. The players and their coach have truly moved the world with their courage. I know they will be extremely pleased,” said Somyot.