The clubs from Capital dominate AGL awards

Mabkhout is Emirati Player of the Year, Dalic Coach of the Year

Abu Dhabi - Arabian Gulf League champions Al Ain as well as runners-up Al Jazira dominated the third edition of the Arabian Gulf League Awards, late on Sunday night.
In a glittering ceremony held at the St.Regis Abu Dhabi Corniche and attended by Shaikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE National Olympic Committee, and Shaikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, Al Ain 'The Boss' and Al Jazira lapped up three awards each, on the night.
Al Ain won the Coach of the Year, Goalkeeper of the Year as well as the Fans' Player of the Year. Meanwhile, Al Jazira clinched the Emirati Player of the Year, Foreign Player of the Year and the Top Scorer of the Year.
As predicted by the Khaleej Times, Al Jazira striker Ali Ahmed Mabkhout won the Emirati Player of the Year. The UAE international, who notched 16 goals last season, beat out Al Ain defender Mohanad Salem Alenazi and Al Ahli forward Ismail Al Hammadi, for the award.
"I'm happy to win the award and it is a great honour. It is because of my teammates that I have been able to win it. It is all about team work and it is because of them. And this award is for them too. But it would have been perfect had we won the League," Ali Mabkhout said after clinching the award.
Ali Ahmed Mabkhout's strike partner Mirko Vucinic landed a double on the night. The Montenegro international took home the Foreign Player of the Year apart from the Top Scorer of the Year.
Nicknamed 'Balkan Maradona,' Vucinic plundered 25 goals in 26 AGL fixtures. The former Juventus ace was nominated in the Foreign Player of the Year category along with Al Ain's Miroslav Stoch and Al Wasl's Fabio de Lima.
But Vucinic too echoed teammate Ali Mabkhout. "I'm happy to win it but it would have been better had we won as a team. I hope we can achieve that next season," said the 31-year-old.
It was no surprise to see Zlatko Dalic win the Coach of the Year award. The Croatian inspired Al Ain to a record 12th League title last season. Dalic was nominated along with the highly-rated Gabriel Calderon of Al Wasl and Al Shabab's Caio Junior, the ex-Al Jazira caretaker manager.
Dalic gave credit to the team for the award and reiterated that they have been one big family.
"Obviously, I'm very happy but this award is for all those who are at this great club that is Al Ain. They have played a part in me winning it and they deserve it as much. We have been like a family right through and that has helped us achieve the League title," said Dalic.
Al Wahda's Ahmed Rashid won the Rookie of the Year award by upstaging the Al Nasr pair of Hussain Abbas Juma and Jassim Yaqoob.
"It will give me a boost. In the beginning, when I got into the first team, I was a bit nervous but I got some good advice from Ismail Matar. I'm proud to win it and it is all about having confidence. It is all about discipline on and off the pitch and I worked hard during the season," Rashid said.
"I hope we can do better next season and I hope I can get more involved with the team. I hope I can put up a good performance so that I can play regularly in the first team," he added.
Al Ain's Khalid Essa won the Goalkeeper of the Year ahead of Al Wahda's Adel Al Hosani and Ahmed Shambieh of Al Nasr.
Al Ain's Mohanad Salem Alenazi won the Fans' Player of the Year award, while Al Dhafra won the Professional Club of the Year.
james@khaleejtimes.com