AFC Nominates Al Sadd's Afif, Bounedjah for Best Forwards in 2019 AFC CL

Kuala Lumpur, September 06 (QNA) - The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) nominated Al Sadd's Akram Afif and Baghdad Bounedjah for the best forwards in the 2019 AFC Champions League. The list for the best forwards in the 2019 AFC Champions League included Bafetimbi Gomis of Al Hilal, Shinzo Koroki of Urawa Red Diamonds, Omar Al Soma of Al Ahli, Akram Afif of Al Sadd, Graziano Pelle of Shandong Luneng, Hulk of Shanghai SIPG, Sebastian Giovinco of Al Hilal, and Baghdad Bounedjah of Al Sadd. Akram Afif began the year as an AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 winner and ended it as the AFC Player of the Year, producing some fine form in between for Al Sadd as the Qatari side again came within a game of reaching the final. The Doha native outscored his usually prolific teammate Baghdad Bounedjah while also creating more chances for his teammates than any other forward in the competition, afc.com reported. Afif's most notable contributions came in the knockout rounds, with goals home and away against domestic rivals Al Duhail seeing Al Sadd into the quarter-finals, where he added another as Al Nassr were next to fall. The winger was on the scoresheet again in the semi-final against Al Hilal, but his second-leg penalty ultimately proved inconsequential as the Qataris' comeback was thwarted by the eventual winners. Prolific in 2018 with a record-equalling 13 goals to his name, Baghdad Bounedjah may not have been quite as clinical in the 2019 campaign but it wasn't for want of trying, the Algerian's 36 shots on goal more than any of his fellow strikers. Perhaps the sweetest moment was a last-gasp group stage winner against Persepolis which saw Al Sadd get a touch of revenge for the semi-final defeat just a few months earlier. He also netted the decisive goal in the quarter-final victory over Al Nassr but as Al Sadd almost staged an unlikely semi-final second-leg comeback against Al Hilal, their main man in front of goal was forced to sit out through suspension. (QNA)