BEIRUT: Saudi superstar Salem Al-Dawsari on Tuesday became the sixth player from the Kingdom, and the fifth from Al-Hilal, to be crowned Asian Football Confederation Player of the Year.
Earlier in the evening, Australia and Chelsea forward Sam Kerr took the women’s title. They were honored during the glitzy 2023 AFC Annual Awards ceremony at the Qatar National Convention Center in Doha. “I am very happy with this achievement and I would like to thank the leadership in Saudi Arabia for their keen interest in athletes and support for sport,” 32-year-old Al-Dawsari said, according to a report on the AFC website. “I also want to thank the Saudi Football Federation, Al-Hilal, the Saudi national team, as well as the fans.
Of course, I am grateful to my parents and wife, who is my No. 1 supporter.” The winger, who made his first appearance for Al-Hilal in 2011, is the 25th recipient of the AFC Player of the Year award since its inception in 1994.
The six Saudi winners of the award during that time, and the five from Al-Hilal, are records for any single country and club respectively.