13 May 2026
Three former Aspire Academy student-athletes were acknowledged at the Qatar Football Association’s end-of-season awards ceremony.
Akram Afif has made history as he was crowned the Qatar Football Association’s Player of the Season for a record sixth time.
It is the third consecutive year that the 2015 graduate has won the accolade, which he first claimed in the 2018-2019 season.
The Al Sadd SC and Qatar national team striker finished ahead of Al-Rayyan’s Roger Guedes and Al-Shamal’s Baghdad Bounedjah.
Akram Afif’s recognition comes after another outstanding season for his club Al Sadd, who were crowned league champions for a third straight year, and for Qatar, as they secured qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Two other former Academy players were also recognised at the ceremony, with Al-Rayyan’s 2018 graduate Mahmoud Abunada named Goalkeeper of the Season and Ayoub Al Alawi, crowned the Best Under-23 Player.
Ayoub Al Alawi, who graduated in 2022, has been a key player for Al Gharafa this season and was part of the team that won the Amir Cup on Saturday with a 4-1 win over Akram Afif’s Al Sadd.
On receiving his award, Akram 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.”
The striker, who has also won the AFC’s Best Asian Player twice, added that the focus is now on delivering outstanding performances for Qatar at the forthcoming FIFA 2026 World Cup.