Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
New Delhi: Ahmed Khalil has been named the 2015 AFC Player of the Year, with the UAE and Al Ahli striker becoming only the third person to have received the senior and youth individual accolades having also won the 2008 AFC Youth Player of the Year prize.
The 24-year-old topped the shortlist to be named the Confederation’s standout player of 2015 ahead of compatriot Omar Abdulrahman and 2013 AFC Player of the Year Zheng Zhi.
In winning the award Khalil repeated the achievement of Iran’s Mehdi Mahdavikia, who won the youth award in 1997 before claiming the senior prize six years later, and Japan's Shinji Ono who achieved the same double in 1998 and then 2002.
"My feeling is something that I cannot explain. This award means a lot to me," a delighted Khalil said.
"This achievement is not for Ahmed, it's for all the people in the Emirates. In the end there can only be one winner.
"Maybe this year I gave my 100 per cent in all matches. Honestly I did not expect to win this award - God has helped me win this award."
Khalil’s delight in receiving this year’s prestigious accolade was in stark contrast to the disappointment etched on his face as he was substituted 63 minutes into the second leg of the 2015 AFC Champions League final, unable to make a impact as Al Ahli finished runners-up to Zheng’s Guangzhou Evergrande. But it was still an outstanding continental club campaign for Khalil who was named MVP in two matches and netted six times to finish joint-second in the scoring charts.
Khalil was equally impressive on the international stage, starting the year by leading the UAE to a third-place finish at the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, scoring twice in an MVP-winning performance as Mahdi Ali’s side opened with a 4-1 defeat of Qatar before the UAE skipper repeated the feat in their final match in Australia, scoring two more and giving another man-of-the-match showing in the 3-2 victory over Iraq in the third-place playoff.
And his positive impact on the national team continued throughout the year, with Khalil scoring ten times in six 2018 FIFA World Cup/2019 AFC Asian Cup joint-qualifying matches, with the UAE firmly in the hunt for a place at the World Cup finals for only the second time after debuting at Italia ’90.