Asamoah Gyan receives top Arabian award

Ghana striker Asamoah Gyan has been handed the Arabian Golden Shoe award for emerging the top scorer of all Arabian Leagues in the 2011-2012 season.

The Black Stars captain was presented with the award on Friday before Al Ain took on Al Shabab in the UAE top flight league match.

Gyan was presented with the award by the editor of the Al Hadath Al Riyadi magazine, Saeed Gabris as the 33rd winner of the prestigious price since it was initiated in the 1979-1980 season. He becomes the first Ghanaian to receive the pretigious accolade.

Gyan, who was not in action, received the award initiated by the Al Hadath Al Riyadi magazine to honour top scorers in the Arab region.Gyan scored 21 goals in 22 matches, 0.954 goals per match, in the 2011-2012 season to emerge winner of the prestigious accolade.

His goal haul was far in excess of second-placed Ahmed Hayel who won the top scorer award in the Jordanian top flight with 18 goals in 22 games. Nasser Al Shemrani of Al Shabab in Saudi Arabia and Simos of Al Ahli share the third position with each scoring 21 goals in 26 matches.

Gyan, 27, becomes the ninth top scorer from the UAE top flight to grab the award.

Prior to him: Fahad Khamis (Al Wasl), Ahmed Abdullah (Al Ain) won it together in 1983, followed by Zuhair Bakhit (Al Wasl) 1988, Saif Sultan (Al Ain) 1993, and Abdul Aziz Mohammed (Sharjah) 1994.