Alaqidi, who plays his club football with Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr, was a safe pair of hands from Matchday One of the group stage as Saudi Arabia opened their campaign with a 5-0 win over Tajikistan.

The 22-year-old's performance in Saudi Arabia's second match against Japan, however, was a game-changer as the 0-0 draw saw the West Asians topping Group D on goal difference after defeating the United Arab Emirates 2-0 on Matchday Three. 

Alaqidi maintained his unbeatable form in the knockout stage as Saudi Arabia, with their goalkeeper at the top of his game, registered 2-0 wins over Vietnam in the quarter-finals, Australia in the semi-finals and Uzbekistan in the final to win the AFC U23 Asian Cup for the first time. 

"Winning the award for being the best goalkeeper is an amazing feeling," said Alaqidi.

"The secret to managing a clean sheet through the entire tournament was simply teamwork. This is the result of the hard work that everyone, players and coaching staff alike, have put in.

"I want to congratulate the people of Saudi Arabia for this victory," Alaqidi added.