Dubai: First and second placed sides Al Ain and Al Wahda have swept the board in the preliminary shortlist for Arabian Gulf League award nominations.
Best Emirati nominees are; Ali Mabkhout (Al Jazira); Rayan Yaslam, Omar Abdul Rahman, Esmail Ahmad and Mohannad Salem (Al Ain); Ahmad Al Yassi, Khalifa Mubarak and Mahmoud Khamis (Al Nasr); Mohammad Marzouq (Shabab Al Ahli Dubai Club); Salem Al Azizi (Al Wasl).
Best foreigners are; Marcus Berg, Caio Lucas (Al Ain); Fabio de Lima, Caio Correa (Al Wasl; Sebastian Tagliabue, Mourad Batna, Balazs Dzsudzsak and Rim Chang-woo (Al Wahda); Marcelo Cirino (Al Nasr); Romarinho (Al Jazira).
Best coaches are; Zoran Mamic (Al Ain), Laurentiu Reghecampf (Al Wahda), Rodolfo Arruabarrena (Al Wasl), Abdul Aziz Al Anbari (Sharjah); Henk ten Cate (Al Jazira).
Best newcomers are; Mohammad Al Shamsi, Khaled Ebrahim, Ahmad Al Akbari and Ahmad Rashid (Al Wahda), Jassem Yaqoub (Al Nasr); Mohammad Al Attas, Zayed Al Ameri (Al Jazira); Omar Saeed (Hatta); Ali Saleh (Al Wasl); Majed Surour (Sharjah).
Best keepers are; Khaled Eisa (Al Ain); Mohammad Al Shamsi (Al Wahda); Majed Nasser (Shabab Al Ahli Dubai Club), Ahmad Shambieh (Al Nasr); Fahad Al Dhanhani (Dibba).
Fans’ player of the year nominations are; Hussain Al Shahat, Omar Abdul Rahman, Marcus Berg (Al Ain); Mbark Boussoufa (Al Jazira); Fabio de Lima (Al Wasl); Mohammad Al Shamsi, Mourad Batna, Sebastian Tagliabue (Al Wahda); Yaseen Mahmoud (Dibba); Youssuf Kalfa (Emirates).
Voting for the nominees started on April 15 and closes on April 22. Three-man shortlists for all six categories will be announced on April 23 with the winners unveiled on May 10.
Nominees were selected based on statistics, with the fans’ player of the year nominees identified through fans’ votes on social media between April 8-12.
Awards are in two categories, subjective, and those selected by vote, like the above, and objective, or those proven by statistics, like the top scorers’ award. Votes can be cast on www.awards.agleague.ae
