Al Shamrani in frame for Asian award despite final spat

By Reuters - Nov 12,2014 - Last updated at Nov 12,2014

SYDNEY — Al Hilal’s Nasser Al Shamrani has been nominated for the Asian Player of the Year award despite sparking a brawl at the end of the second leg of the Asian Champions League (ACL) final earlier this month. The Saudi striker was named on the short-list along with defender Ismail Ahmed of Emirati club Al Ain and Qatari midfielder Khalfan Ibrahim of the Al Sadd club, who won the award in 2006. Al Shamrani scored 10 goals in the ACL this season but faces disciplinary charges after spitting at Western Sydney Wanderers defender Matthew Spiranovic after Al Hilal lost 1-0 on aggregate to the A-League outfit in the final. Ibrahim’s sometimes dazzling skill won him the award when he was still in his teens, while Ahmed was a stalwart in the backline as Al Ain made it to the ACL semifinals and would be the first United Arab Emirates player to be honoured.

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