Ali Mabkhout wins best Emirati player award for fourth time

Sharjah manager Cosmin Olaroiu won the best coach award for a record fourth time

Ashwani Kumar

Published: Thu 10 Aug 2023, 9:46 PM

For a record fourth time, Al Jazira’s talisman Ali Mabkhout won the Golden Ball award for the best Emirati player during the 2022-23 UAE Pro League awards ceremony held at Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental in Abu Dhabi.

Mabkhout, the goal-scoring machine for the ‘Pride of Abu Dhabi’, netted 27 times in the season, just one behind Al Ain’s Togolese striker Laba Kodjo, who walked away with the Golden Shoe presented to the ADNOC Pro League top scorer.

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Other players in the reckoning for the best Emirati player were Al Wasl's Ali Saleh and Shabab Al Ahli's Yahya Al Ghassani.

League champion Shabab Al Ahli’s Argentinian winger Federico Cartabia bagged the Golden Ball for the best foreign player beating competition from Laba Kodjo and Ajman’s Mohamed Firas Ben Larbi.

Sharjah’s manager Cosmin Olaroiu won the best coach award for a record fourth time. His team’s custodian Adel Al Hosani pocketed the Golden Glove award for the best goalkeeper.

Al Ain’s Soufian Rahimi was chosen as the Fans’ Player of the Year, and his teammate Erik Jorgens won the Golden Boy award for best player (resident/born).

Al Wasl’s mainstay Fabio De Lima picked up the Fans’ Goal of the Year award.

Shabab Al Ahli’s Harib Abdalla Suhail was the Golden Boy for the U-23 Best Emirati Player category.

While Al Ain got the Professional Excellence in Club Licensing title, the Fans League Award went to Al Jazira.

Pro League chairman Abdullah Naser Al Jneibi congratulated everyone for a successful season.

“I thank the UAE leadership for continued support. All coaches, players, and teams present here are winners. There are no losers. I am looking forward to the new season, and overcoming challenges,” Al Jneibi said.

Tickets for the highly anticipated opening matches of the new season have been rolled out. Fans can book their seats via the UAE Pro League’s official website and Platinumlist website.

The opening fixtures are slated for August 18 and 19. The Friday line-up promises exhilarating clashes, featuring Al Wahda versus Al Bataeh, Ittihad Kalba taking on Sharjah, Ajman going head-to-head with Shabab Al Ahli, and Al Ain versus Bani Yas. Saturday will see Al Wasl challenging Emirates, Khorfakkan versus Hatta, and Al Nasr taking on Al Jazira.

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