QFA Awards: Afif emerges best player as Prats gets best coach honour

Doha [Qatar], May 12: Al Sadd and Qatar star Akram Afif (Best Player), Al Rayyan's Mahmoud Abunada (Best Goalkeeper) and Al Shamal's David Prats (Best Coach) along with many other award winners were honoured at the Qatar Football Association's (QFA) Awards ceremony for 2025-26 season at the Raffles Doha hotel on Monday.
The event was attended by a number of VIPs, guests, invitees, club presidents and representatives, technical and administrative staff and players.
Afif expressed his happiness at winning the award again, appreciating the great role played by his colleagues at Al Sadd Club and the technical and administrative staff in helping him win the title for the sixth time in his history and the third time in a row.
Afif said: "It is a great honour for me to retain the Best Player award, which is a great motivation for me to continue working with my colleagues to serve the Qatari national team and Al Sadd club and achieve more collective and individual titles."
Afif, also twice AFC Best Asian Player, stressed that the focus is now on delivering a decent performance for Qatar at the forthcoming FIFA 2026 World Cup.
Afif had helped his team Al Sadd win the Qatar Stars League title as well as finishing as runners-up at the 2026 Amir Cup. He also consistently shone with the Qatar national team, contributing to their qualification for the 2026 World Cup and winning the Asian Cup titles in the last two editions in 2019 and 2023.
Spaniard David Prats, coach of Al Shamal, won the award as best coach of the season after fierce competition with Italian Roberto Mancini, coach of Al Sadd, and Spaniard Vicente Moreno, coach of Al Rayyan and Al Wakrah, during the current season.
Prats was close to leading the team to its first historic league title since its founding, but had to settle for second place after a great season in which the team secured its first appearance in the AFC Champions League 2026-27 after booking a direct spot in the continental tournament.
Brazilian striker Roger Guedes of Al Rayyan had already secured the Mansour Muftah Award for top scorer in the Qatari League (Doha Bank Stars League) by scoring 21 goals for his team, which finished the league in third place.
Al Rayyan goalkeeper Mahmoud Abu Nada won the Best Goalkeeper of the Season award, surpassing Al Arabi goalkeeper Jassim Al Hail and Al Sadd goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham, while Al Gharafa player Ayoub Al Alawi won the Best Under-23 Player award after competing with Al Duhail player Mubarak Shanan and Al Shamal player Mohammed Manaei, based on the outstanding level he presented this season, whether with the club or the Qatar national team.
The Qatar Football Association Council awarded the Football for All Award to the "Match to Revive Hope" initiative, and the Council selected the best refereeing team of the season following a recommendation from the Association's refereeing department.
The best team included Mohammed Al Mazeed (field referee), Saud Ahmed and Youssef Ayed (assistant referees), and Mishari Al Shammari (video assistant referee - VAR).
Al Sadd fans received the Best Stand award in recognition of their great interaction and support for their team during the current season, which saw the club crowned league champions and finished as runners-up in the Amir Cup.
The Board of Trustees of QFA Awards congratulated all winners, and extended its gratitude to all those who attended the closing ceremony of 2025-2026 season.
Source: Qatar Tribune