Afif Celebrates '2019 Asian Player of the Year'

QNA/AFP Hong Kong

Qatar’s star forward Akram Afif’s sterling year was made even more exceptional when the Al Annabi international was named as the AFC Player of the Year 2019 at the AFC Annual Awards on Monday. As if celebrating the big honour, the 23-year-old siz- zling forward scoring a de- lightful opening goal in the crucial clash of the 24th Ara- bian Gulf Cup against UAE at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha in the even- ing, before adding another via a penalty strike. A permanent member of the senior national team since 2015, Afif was instru- mental in Qatar’s AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 triumph, with one goal and 10 assists. He beat Iran goalkeeper Al- ireza Beiranvand and To- Qatar’s forward Akram Afif (left) moaki Makino of Japan to receives the Man of the Match the Asian Football Confed- award after the 24th Arabian eration honour. Gulf Cup Group A match against “Very happy to be select- the United Arab Emirates at the ed as the Asian Player of the Khalifa International Stadium in Year. This is a great honour Doha on Monday. (AFP) for me,” tweeted Afif from Doha. and Guam Football Asso- Afif was tipped as a future Qatar’s forward Akram Afif (right) celebrates one of his two goals against the UAE in the 24th Arabian Gulf Cup Group A match at the Khalifa International Stadium on Tuesday. ciation (GFA) were honored star since his early years that with the AFC Member As- saw him play for Spanish sociation of the Year 2019 youth teams Sevilla and Vil- named the AFC Women’s U-16 Championship 2010 Developing and Aspiring larreal, before being called Player of the Year Award ‘A Great Day for Afif’ Qualifiers. awards respectively. up for Qatar’s team for the ahead of Li Ying of China PR Asako Takakura win AFC The three East Asian 2012 AFC U-16 Champion- and India women’s national Today is a great day for him (Akram Afif), and we are happy. Women’s Coach of the Year Member Associations have ship Qualifiers and the 2014 team star Ashalata Devi. I have known him since 2006 when I arrived here. He has for a record seventh time. made great strides in 2019 AFC U-19 Championship. Tottenham Hotspur worked hard to be in the national team. He deserves Takakura, who also won the through competitive Conti- He wasn’t even 20 when and Korea Republic to be here with the quality he shows and all the award in 2012, 2013, 2014, nental matches, as well as Afif became a part of Qatar’s star Song Heung- 2015, 2017 and 2018, led programmes and initiatives 2016 AFC U-23 Champion- min was named the players are very happy for him on having Japan to the FIFA Women’s to further spread the aware- ship campaign that was led AFC International won the AFC award. He played great World Cup France 2019 ness of the game. by head coach Felix Sanchez Player of the Year today (against UAE) too. Round of 16. Chinese Football As- and the forward was again ahead of Eintra- Japan Football Associa- sociation, Singapore Foot- part of the squad in the fol- cht Frankfurt’s – Felix Sanchez, Qatar Coach tion (JFA) was awarded the ball Association and Brunei lowing edition, where Qatar Makoto Hasebe AFC Member Association of Darussalam were awarded finished third. and Zenit St Petersburg’s public’s Chung Jung-yong former professional player, tional teams in 2009, where the Year 2019 for the fifth The AFC President’s Recog- Japan international Sardar Azmoun. was named the AFC Men’s first got involved with Korea he was the assistant coach to time. Hong Kong Football nition Awards for Grassroots captain Saki Kumagai was Meanwhile, Korea Re- Coach of the Year. Chung, a Republic’s age-group na- Kim Eun-chul for the AFC Association LTD. (HKFA) Football 2019. Xavi backs Qatar to compete at 2022 World Cup after Akram’s AFC award

AFP Hong Kong

Barcelona legend and Al Sadd coach Xavi backed hosts Qatar to make an impression at the next World Cup after ex- citing forward Akram Afif was named Asian player of the year Yemen’s Emad Mansoor (left) vies with Iraq’s Ibrahim Bayesh for the ball on Monday. during their Group A match at the Al Duhail Stadium on Monday. (AFP) Doha-based Xavi, who col- lected the award on Afif’s behalf at the Asian Football Confed- eration awards in Hong Kong, 10-man Iraq top said the Qataris would be competitive in 2022 “for sure”. Japan’s Saki Kumagai was group after goalless rewarded for a glittering ca- reer for club and country as she was named women’s play- draw with Yemen er of the year at the ceremony in protest-hit Hong Kong. Tribune News Network before the break. Afif, 23, made a record 10 DOHA Yemen’s performance im- assists as Qatar stormed to proved in the second period their first Asian Cup title in Ten-man Iraq had to battle and they thought they had February, reaping the rewards hard as a spirited Yemen held opened the scoring in the 58th of heavy investment in their them to a goalless draw in a minute through Abdulwasea national set-up as the World FIFA president Gianni Infantino (left), Japan’s national team Olympique Lyonnais football player and winner of AFC Women’s Player of the Year, Group A match in the 24th Al Matari but the referee, as- Cup looms. Saki Kumagai (centre), and Al Sadd coach Xavi Hernandez, who received the AFC Men’s player of the Year on behalf of Akram Afif, during the Arabian Gulf Cup at the Ab- sisted by VAR, ruled out the Afif also helped Xavi’s Al Annual Awards ceremony of Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in Hong Kong on Monday. (AFP) dullah Bin Khalifa Stadium goal for a foul on one of the Sadd reach the AFC Champions on Monday. Iraqi players in the buildup. League semi-finals, where they well and they can compete in shift to the winter to avoid the Cup, and led her country to the playing well for my club Lyon,” Iraq were reduced to 10 Iraq had opportunities to- lost to Saudi eventual winners 2022 for sure.” Qatari summer heat. Asian Cup title last year. she added, when asked about men in the eighth minute af- wards the end, with Mhawi Al Hilal 6-5 on aggregate. Afif, who beat Iran goal- “Very happy to be selected Kumagai has also enjoyed her next goals. And also we ter Mustafa Mohammad was denied by Ayash in the 88th “I think they are working keeper Alireza Beiranvand as the Asian Player of the Year. a golden run with her club have the Tokyo Olympics com- sent off for a foul on Ayman minute, who then stopped Ali very well, they are competing and Japan defender Tomoaki This is a great honour for me,” side Lyon, winning six French ing up next year which I think al Hajri. Faez’s header in stoppage time. against very big countries,” Makino to the honour, is the tweeted Afif, who is playing at league titles and four Champi- is one of my goals which I want Still Iraq created the better Iraq topped the group ta- Xavi, who won the 2010 World second Qatari in a row to win the Gulf Cup in Qatar. ons League trophies. to achieve so I have to perform chances and Alaa Mhawi shot ble with seven points after Cup with Spain, said of Qatar. the men’s prize after defender Kumagai, 29, has estab- “I’ve been nominated a few in order to get any further in- wide in the 22nd minute. splitting honours with Yemen. “I think they have a very Abdelkarim Hassan last year. lished herself as one of the times before, at last I’m able dividual trophies I think.” There was another chance The draw helped them edge good team and also a very good greats of women’s football to win this award this year. Japan’s Asako Takakura for Iraq at the half-hour mark hosts Qatar in the second spot coach. They are well organised Olympic dream after she scored the winning I’m genuinely happy. I want was women’s coach of the but Ali Faez’s free-kick was by a point. In the third spot on the pitch and they have a very His award comes exactly nine penalty in Japan’s 2011 Wom- to thank my team-mates who year for a record seventh time, stopped by Yemen goalkeep- were the UAE, who had three good generation of players... years after Qatar were named en’s World Cup victory. helped me to get this award,” while Chung Jung-yong was er Mohammed Ayash while points from one win in three Many players that can make the as surprise World Cup hosts, She then helped the Nade- said Kumagai. the best men’s coach after Ahmed Sadeq’s shot went wide games. Yemen finished fourth difference on the pitch. a move that was followed by shiko finish runners-up at the “As an individual inspira- he led South Korea to the at the other end four minutes with just one point. “They are working really vote-buying allegations and a 2012 Olympics and 2015 World tion I’m only thinking about Under-20 World Cup final.