Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Dubai: Al Qadsia playmaker Saif Al Hashan claimed the AFC Cup’s Most Valuable Player Award after a campaign that saw the 24-year-old instrumental as the Kuwaiti club finally landed the trophy.
Al Qadsia have twice finished as runners-up in the AFC Cup, losing in 2010 to Syria’s Al Ittihad before finishing second best to domestic rivals Kuwait Sports Club last season.
Al Hashan was in fine form in the final, carrying his team’s most potent threat from midfield in the first half in particular and continuing his fine form from earlier in the tournament.
But Al Hashan and the rest of his team mates were unable to unlock the Arbil defence and the game went to a penalty shootout, which they won 4-2 with Danijel Subotic scoring the winning spot kick.
“I'm very happy for this great achievement and I’d like to thank everyone who has worked with me, all of the coaches, everyone in the administration, the medical department, everyone,” he said upon being named the tournament’s MVP. “I’m very happy.”
Al Hashan wasted no time turning his attention to next year, with hopes that he and his team mates can play in the AFC Champions League.
Al Qadsia featured in the playoffs in this season’s competition, but were eliminated in the third round of preliminaries by Qatar’s El Jaish after initially seeing off Oman’s Al Suwaiq and Baniyas from the United Arab Emirates.
“A club like Al Qadsia should be playing in the AFC Champions League, not in the AFC Cup,” he said. “We have shown that there is a big difference between us and the other teams in this competition.”