Saad Al-Suwaidi
Doha, Qatar - The 2018 AFC Annual Awards ceremony is set to kick off tonight in Muscat, Oman at 6pm Doha time. The event will gather Asia’s finest football stars to acknowledge and award them based on their great efforts and success throughout the year.
Speaking about the event, Sheikh Salman Al Khalifa, President of The Asian Football Confederation said, “The AFC brings the stars of Asian football together for a celebration of their outstanding performances in a season that again has promoted the ever-improving standards of our game across the continent."
“Everyone who has been nominated for an award – whether it be a member association, a coach or a player – provides inspiration for the next generation in their field and leaves a legacy of excellence and achievement.”
Al Sadd Sports Club’s very own Abdulkarim Hassan has made the shortlist for the Player of the Year award. Hassan, 25 years of age, does not fall short in his list of achievements. Having begun his career at the age of 17 with Al Sadd Sports Club’s youth team, as well as the Qatari Olympic team, his first glimpse of what it takes to win a championship came in 2011 in the AFC Champions League, as he was part of Al Sadd’s championship winning team. 3 years later, he joined the Qatar National team and went on to win the Arabian Gulf Cup back in 2014.
He gained various individual awards in the QNB Stars League, earning him the Best Player under 21 in the 2012 – 13 season, as well as the Player of the Year in the under 23 category from the QSL. Recognised for his talent, Al Sadd loaned the player to Belgian Jupiler Pro League club KAS Eupen for the 2017 – 18 season.
It is a great honour for a player of his caliber to be nominated for such a prestigious award. The last time that a Qatari National Player was nominated and won the category was back in 2006, when Al Sadd’s Khalfan Ibrahim was crowned Player of the Year.
Tonight, Hassan will be up against elite Japanese player Yuma Suzuki and Kento Misao.
The stage is set for a night of football celebration, and all eyes are on Abdulkarim Hassan to bring the award home.