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HONG KONG (Reuters) – Qatari defender Abdelkarim Hassan has been named Asian player of the year 2018, winning the annual individual trophy of the Asian Football Confederation ahead of Japanese duo Yuma Suzuki and Kenta Misao.
FILE PHOTO: Football Football – International friendly – Switzerland / Qatar – Cornaredo Stadium, Lugano, Switzerland – November 14, 2018 Hassan Abdelkarim REUTERS of Qatar / Stefan Wermuth
The left-back received the trophy at a ceremony in Muscat, the Omani capital, after playing a key role in the club's team, Al Sadd, reaching the league semi-finals Asian champions this season.
"I am very happy and proud to receive this award," said Hassan, who becomes the second Qatari to win the award after 2006 winner Khalfan Ibrahim.
"All players in Asia dream of winning such a prize and this is a great testimony of Qatar football. It's a great honor to be the second Qatari to win this award.
"Of course, I have to thank my teammates and all the people who supported me in my career.
"Personally, I did not expect to win, but it's a great source of pride for me and I'm very grateful. I am only 25 years old, I still have a long way to go and I hope to continue this momentum. "
Midfielder Wang Shuang won the women's trophy, becoming the third Chinese player to win the trophy, succeeding Ma Xiaoxu and Bai Jie.
"I would like to thank the AFC for this remarkable award," she said.
"It really means a lot to win that. I would like to thank my country, the Chinese Football Federation and my national team mates for putting their trust in me and for always encouraging me to dream big. "
Makoto Hasebe, who was captain of Japan in the round of the World Cup in Russia this summer, has been named international player of the year while Go Oiwa won the title of coach of the 39 year after leading Kashima Antlers to his first title in the Asian Champions League.
Japan's Asako Takakura won the women's coach of the year for the sixth time.
Reporting by Michael Church, edited by Nick Mulvenney
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