The Amir Cup champions, Al Arabi finished with two awards.
The Qatar Football Association (QFA) Awards ceremony for the 2022-2023 season was recently held at the Qatar National Convention Centre, where
Top performers were recognised at the Qatar Football Association (QFA) Awards ceremony for the 2022-2023 season on Saturday, just a day after Al Arabi secured its first Amir Cup in decades following a thrilling final against Al Sadd.
The Amir Cup champions, Al Arabi finished with two awards, with Tunisian forward Youssef Msakni named the Best Player of the season.
He scored 13 goals in the top flight and was recognised for his consistent performance, edging out tough competition from Al Sadd’s Akram Afif, teammate Al Somah and Duhail’s Olunga.
Msakni received the most votes, a testament to his remarkable contribution to the team’s success.
“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,” the Tunisian star said after receiving the Best Player Award.
Meanwhile, coach Younes Ali was awarded the Best Coach Award, following Al Arabi’s success in the Amir Cup.
He received the highest percentage of votes and credited his team for the achievement, stating that it was a result of team effort. Al Arabi’s success under his leadership has been outstanding, and he has cemented his place as one of the top coaches in Qatar.
Younes Ali became the first Qatari coach to win the Amir Cup since 1993-94. The Lebanese-Qatari Ahmed Omar was the last coach to win the trophy, and incidentally, it was Al-Sadd defeating Al-Arabi in the final.
“I am picking this award on behalf on my team as I have not achieved this alone. My entire team deserves the credit for this award,” said Younes.
Finally, Michael Olunga was recognised for his impressive second season in Qatar with the Top Scorer award.
Olunga, who is Kenyan, has been a prolific scorer for Al Arabi netting 22 goals in the domestic league and has become a fan favourite in Qatar.
“I want to thank Omar Al Somah (Al Arabi) and Gelson Dala (Al Wakrah) to make it a tough competition [for top scorer award] for me. It helped me to help Al Duhail win three trophies. I also want to thank my coach Crespo for always believing in me to lead the team’s attack,” said the Kenyan striker, who also won the top scorer award last year after scoring 24 goals.
The best under-23 player award went to Al Rayyan’s Osama Al Tairi. The best referee award went to Abdulhadi Al Asmar Al Ruwaili, while the Football for All Award was given to Al Kass Ramadan Tournament for its significant contribution to promoting the culture of football in society.
The awards ceremony was a testament to the exceptional performances of individuals and organizations in the football fraternity in Qatar.
It was an opportunity for the football community to recognise and appreciate the significant contributions of players, coaches, and other stakeholders to the development of football in the country.
