Southeast Asia

SEA Awards – Local Player Of The Year

By: , October 19, 2018 7:55 pm

For our final category in the 2018 Football Tribe SEA Awards concerns the best local player in each respective league. Find out the winners of our final round here:

Thailand

Presented by Obb Deewajin

Chalermpong Kerdkaew - Center Back - Aged 31 - Nakhon Ratchasima FC

Underdog Nakhon Ratchasima FC defied expectation by finishing 7th, with the end result constituting the club's best ever league finish. Great credit belongs to captain Chalermpong Kerdkaew's calming presence in the heart of the defence. The 32-year-old's no-nonsense style of play complemented Milos Joksic's pragmatic football perfectly as they became one of the toughest teams to beat this season. "The Swatcat" holds the 4th best defensive record in the league; only champions Buriram United, runners-up Bangkok United and big spender Chiangrai United conceded fewer goals than them.

 

Honorable Mentions

2 - Sumanya Purisai: Known for his technical excellence, Sumanya is the highest scoring Thai player with 12 goals and 8 assists, earning a well-deserved call-up to the latest national team squad.

3 - Philip Roller: The Thai-German right back was a vital outlet of energy for Ratchaburi Mitr Phol FC all season, strong in defence and never afraid to venture forward.

4 - Tristan Do: The marauding fullback was Muangthong United's most consistent performer during a season of ups and downs, contributing 6 goals and 9 assists.

5 - Jakkaphan Kaewprom: Nobody played more minutes than Jakkaphan Kaewprom this season as Buriram United sealed the league title, breaking the record points total points in the process.

Vietnam

Presented by Tran Tien

Nguyen Van Quyet - Attacking Midfielder - Aged 27 - Hanoi FC

The attacking midfielder is the key player for Hanoi FC's title winning side in the V.League this season. His impressive return of 6 goals and 9 assists make him one of the most prolific players in the division. He has been voted as the Local Player Of The Year with 40% of Football Tribe Vietnam readers.

 

Honorable Mentions

2 - Vu Van Thanh: Van Thanh is the first choice RB in the National Team. He has featured in many positions for his club, and his versatility has made a good contribution to the team.

3 - Dang Van Lam: The goalkeeper proved he deserves to become the number one choice for the national team at the AFF Cup. He played 25 games and 10 kept clean sheets this season. Ultimately, he only concede 25 goals this campaign, which was the fewest in the league.

4 - Do Duy Manh: Traditionally known as central midfielder, Duy Manh underwent a tactical evolution to become one of the finest central backs in the country. With his excellent passing range and reading of the game, he was an important part of Hanoi FC's campaign and the manner in which they won the league with 5 games left. He has been voted as the club's player of the season.

5 - Nguyen Hoang Quoc Chi: Quoc Chi continued his fine form from V.League 2017 with 8 goals for Sanna Khanh Hoa in V.League 2018 to help the team finish third in the table.

Malaysia

Presented by Aiman Nazirmuddin

Safawi Rasid - Forward - Aged 21 - Johor Darul Tazim

The Terengganu-born attacker was voted the best player of the season, making 21 appearances and scoring 6 goals this season. He is indeed a remarkable player, has been acknowledged by JDT's coach, who claimed in a recent statement that Safawi is the best footballer in the country based on his improvement in every match with the club. In addition to his excellent league performances, Safawi also made a major impact at the 2018 Asian Games, scoring four goals in as many appearances for the national team.

 

Honorable Mentions

2 - Farizal Marlias: The JDT goalkeeper's excellent performances rescued his side on a number of occasions. This season he recorded 13 clean sheets in the league, making him one of the most important players for the league champions this season.

3 - Muslim Ahmad: The 29-year-old has shown good performances this season. After struggling to hit form previously, he has seen a dramatic improvement since moving to Pahang.

4 - Hafiz Ramdan: Hafiz Ramdan is PKNP's rising star with a bright future ahead. In 11 games he has scored 6 goals for his team. His coach, Abu Bakar Fadzim, praised Hafiz Ramdan as a player who has shown major improvement and hoped the player would grow and benefit the team even more next season

5 - Hafizul Hakim: Goalkeeper Hafizul Hakim made his debut for Perak in the 2017 season as the first start in his club's opening Super League match. In 2018 season, he was appointed as his clubs co-vice captain together with Shahrul Saad. Hafizul featured in all 22 league matches this season, keeping 6 clean sheets.