Heartache for UAE trio as they miss the cut, while Morocco’s Pan Arab Champion Adam Bresnu remains in contention at the Asian Tour finale
sports1 hour ago
UAE's Ahmed Khalil got a modicum of revenge on Guangzhou Evergrande captain Zheng Zhi when he pipped the Chinese to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Player of the Year award on Sunday.
Khalil's Al Ahli club finished runners-up in the AFC Champions League as Zheng guided Guangzhou to their second continental title in three years.
But the 24-year-old Khalil won the individual battle in a glittering ceremony on the outskirts of the Indian capital, denying 2013 winner Zheng a second AFC Player of the Year award and also beating compatriot Omar Abdulrahman to emerge as the continent's top player.
"I cannot explain my feelings," Khalil told reporters. "It means a lot to me. It's not for me only, it's for all the people of the Emirates."
Khalil became only the third player to have won both the senior and youth individual accolades and the forward said he would like to play in Europe at some point.
"I have goals that I have set for the future and I will try my best to achieve them. I have ambitions to play in Europe but presently I have a contract with my current club."
Guangzhou won the AFC Club of the Year award, while their Brazilian recruit and AFC Champions League top scorer Ricardo Goulart won the AFC Foreign Player of the Year award.
Asian Cup champions Australia won the men's team of the year award, while Japan claimed the women's team honour. Ange Postecoglou won the top coach's honour for masterminding Australia's home triumph.
"What a year it has been - with the (viewership) record broken on the opening days of January in Australia, right up to the last few days in Guangzhou," said AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, who has entered the Fifa presidency race.
"For a long time, people talked of the future being Asia and they are now convinced that the present is Asia. I'm certain that we stand on the very brink of greatness in this continent - the dawning of an Asian age."
Heartache for UAE trio as they miss the cut, while Morocco’s Pan Arab Champion Adam Bresnu remains in contention at the Asian Tour finale
sports1 hour ago
School secures top 3 position in UAE for IB excellence
lifestyle1 hour ago
Over 8 mtpa of Ruwais LNG project’s production capacity is committed to international customers through long-term agreements
energy2 hours ago
Travellers 60 days to comment as transportation authority launched the rulemaking process, which is not a formal proposal
aviation2 hours ago
The row started in Qatar when Verstappen was stripped of pole position
sports2 hours ago
George Russell, the Mercedes driver from Britain, accused Max Verstappen of bullying on the track
sports2 hours ago
Financial free zone aims to achieve Net Zero by 2045
business2 hours ago
S&P projects the emirates real GDP growth to average 4% between 2024 and 2027
business3 hours ago