Receiving the highest number of votes, Afif was recognised for his performance on the pitch as he netted 26 goals this season.
Al Sadd superstar Akram Afif was awarded the prestigious Best Player Award at the highly anticipated Qatar Football Association (QFA) Awards ceremony.
The annual ceremony was held on on Sunday at the Qatar National Convention Centre, and celebrates the achievements of football players in the Expo Stars League.
Receiving the highest number of votes, Afif was also awarded the Mansour Muftah Award for top scorer by scoring 26 goals in the 2023-2024 season.
The 27-year-old star was nominated by the Board of Trustees of the QFA awards alongside Algerian star Yacine Brahimi of Al Gharafa and Brazilian star Roger Guedes of Al Rayyan.
“It is a great honour for me to win this award, but it wasn’t possible without the help of my teammates, and I am thankful to them for their support,” Afif said upon receiving the award.
Afif’s award as the best player comes after he ushered Al Sadd to their record-extending 19th Amir Cup victory on Friday, which marked their 79th overall title.
Earlier this year, Afif was vested the AFC Asian Cup 2023 Golden Boot after scoring eight goals in seven matches for his national team at the AFC Asian Cup 2023.
The striker netted a hat-trick of penalties in the final, leading Qatar to a 3-1 win over Jordan, framing the Maroons to retain the title they won in 2019, becoming one of only five teams to have managed such a feat.
Afif joined the ranks of legendary players like Ali Daei, Tim Cahill, and Lee Dong-gook, who have all been awarded the Golden Boot in the past
For best coach, Pedro Martins of Al Gharafa got the highest percentage of votes ahead of Al Sadd’s Wesam Rizk and Al Rayyan’s Leonardo Jardim.
“It was a tough season, and the competitions for titles were fantastic. The games were really good, and the next season will be the same,” Martins said after receiving the best coach award.
The Portuguese coach was in charge in all 22 matches, winning 13 games and drawing five, besides four defeats.
The Best Under-23 Player Award was bagged by Al Arabi’s Jassim Jaber.
‘Backbone’ of Qatar’s football legacy honoured
At the same time, the late national coach, Captain Saeed Al Misnad, was recognised by the Order of Achievement award for his remarkable feats and services to the success of local clubs and Qatar’s national team.
The football legend has been characterised as the backbone of Qatar’s football legacy.
An instrumental figure in Qatar’s football legacy, Al Misnad toiled alongside the national team as a technical adviser after working as an assistant to Everisto de Macedo Filho, coach of the first football team in the country.
After starting his football career at Al Khor Club, Al-Misnad joined Al Sadd Club before retiring from the pitch in 1985.
As a technical advisor, Al Misnad guided the national team to the Arabian Gulf Cup on three appearances and was one of the pioneers who shaped the Asian Cup campaign in 2019, which Qatar won.
