Doha: Qatar national football team player and Al Sadd Club striker Akram Afif won the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) Player of the Year 2019 award today. The award was announced at a function held in Hong Kong today. He is the third Qatari player to receive this award. A driving force behind Qatar’s Asian Cup title victory last year, 22-year-old Afif also helped Al Sadd reach the AFC Champions League semi-finals this season. “I would like to thank the AFC for the award of best player in Asia. I would like to thank the players and the management of Qatar National Team also Al Sadd Club and Aspire. I would like to thank my family, who are my main supporters.. I would like to thank all those who supported Akram Afif. I can’t be at the ceremony because I'm involved with the National Team. Again I would like to thank the AFC. I wish success to you all,” the footballer said in a video statement. The award was received by Al Sadd coach Xavi Hernandez on behalf of Afif, who is currently playing for Qatar in the ongoing 24th Arabian Gulf Cup being held in Qatar. Today Qatar will take on UAE and he is expected to play a crucial role in the match. It is the second consecutive year that a Qatari player is being honoured with the Player of the Year award. His Al Sadd and Qatar teammate, Abdelkarim Hassan, won the award last year, becoming only the second Qatari to bag the title after Khalfan Ibrahim, who won the same in 2006. Japan captain Saki Kumagai won the AFC Women's Player of the Year 2019.