Xavi Hernandez, Nam Tae-hee (C) and Youssef Msakni (R).
Doha: Feared Al Duhail strikers Nam Tae-hee and Youssef Msakni along with Al Sadd captain Xavi Hernandez are in the running for the Qatar Football Association (QFA) Best Player Award, it was revealed here yesterday.
The QFA Awards Committee board meeting was held at the at Al Bidda Tower yesterday and the final nominations for end-of-season honours were selected.
Tae-hee has been working relentlessly in the midfield and has been instrumental in setting up a few goals for his teammates and scoring some in the process.
The 26-year-old will be looking to clinch his second successive award at the end-of-season ceremony at the Qatar National Convention Center in Education City on May 17, where the winners will be announced.
Last year, Tae-hee, beating an accomplished field – comprising of Al Sadd duo Xavi Hernandez and Hassan Al Haydous to win his first QFA award
This year, the Korean will face stiff competition from team-mate Msakni. The Tunisian, who got injured in the last round match of the QNB Stars League (QSL) and will miss the upcoming Russia World Cup, is a serious contender for the best player award .
Former Barcelona legend, Xavi who has revealed that he will retire in the coming season, will be hoping enough people have voted for him to so that he can lay his hands on the trophy.
QFA sent out forms after the conclusion of QSL to QSL team coaches, Qatar national team coach, Qatar Olympic team coach, team managers, media representatives, representative of the QFA, Representative of Qatar Stars League Management and President and Board members of the QFA to participate in the voting process.
Out of the 52 forms that were sent out, 43 came back out of which one was incomplete.
Besides the Best Player Award, the other awards which will be decided are the Best Under-23 Player Award, Best Coach Award, Football for All award and the Best Referee will be announced at the gala event.
The Mansoor Muftah Award for the QNB Stars League’s top scorer will be presented to Al Duhail striker Youssef El Arabi, who scored 26 goals and played a key role in Djamel Belmadi’s side winning the League with an unbeaten record.
Belmadi, the QSL and Qatar Cup winning coach, is also in the running for the best coach award along with Al Sadd Portuguese tactician Jesulado Ferreira and Michael Laudrup of Al Rayyan.
Both Belmadi and Ferreira have been successful in taking the QSL side to the ongoing pre-quarter-final stage of the AFC Champions League.
The finalists for the Best Under-23 Player Award are Bassam Al Rawi, Almoez Ali (both Al Duhail) and Salem Al Hajri (Al Sadd).
