Al Ain predictably swept the boards at the Arabian Gulf League Awards in Abu Dhabi on Thursday night, with the club winning four of the night’s six major accolades.
The Arabian Gulf League and President’s Cup champions dominated proceedings, with playmaker and captain Omar Abdulrahman winning the Best Emirati Player award, Khalid Essa winning the Golden Glove for best goalkeeper, Zoran Mamic named Best Coach, while Egypt sensation Hussein El Shahat was named the Fans’ Player of the Year.
In addition, Swedish striker Marcus Berg won the Golden Shoe having plundered 25 goals in his debut season in UAE football.
The other two awards went to AGL runners-up Al Wahda, with Argentine striker Sebastian Tagliabue winning the Best Foreign Player and goalkeeper Mohammed Al Shamsi collecting the award for Best Young Player.
Al Ain’s players also littered the Team of the Season, with Essa, El Shahat, Berg and Abdulrahman also joined by UAE defender Ismail Ahmed and emerging attacking midfielder Rayan Yaslam.
The rest of the team was made up by Al Nasr defensive duo Mahmoud Khamis and Ahmed Al Yassi, Shabab Al Ahli Dubai Club centre-back Mohammed Marzooq – who despite playing in a middling team that struggled to fifth place, was part of a defence that conceded a league low 18 goals – Al Jazira’s ferocious forward Ali Mabkhout and Wahda wonder Tagliabue.
Abdulrahman was somewhat fortuitous to pick up a fourth Best Emirati Player award after a quiet campaign by his standards, marred by injury. He adds the award to the trophies he won in 2012/13, 2014/15 and 2015/16.
Sebastian Tagliabue picks up his Best Foreign Player award.
But the Boss’ grip on the awards was as deserved as their double success, with the Garden City side returning to their glorious roots following a few barren years by their standards.
Mamic’s men lifted a first league title in three seasons, while a seventh President’s Cup overall, but first in four years, was lifted.
Al Ain lost just once in 22 games – a joint record for the professional era – and scored 15 more goals than any rival.
Tagliabue was crowned the league’s best import for the second time. The 33-year-old veteran, who this week signed a new two-year extension with the Clarets, led the goalscoring charts until the penultimate round before being pipped to the Golden Boot by Berg.
Eventually finishing with 23 goals, Tagliabue won the award ahead of Berg and Al Wasl’s Fabio De Lima.
The Pro League Committee, the AGL’s governing body, held the awards at Abu Dhabi’s Emirates Palace, with the ceremony attended by members of the PLC executive office, as well as UAE national team coach Alberto Zaccheroni, while Jazira goalkeeping coach and former Arsenal stopper Manuel Almunia participated in the new season draw.
