Though the awards should be given to players on the basis of their skills and performance on the field, ANFA is known to give priority to members of the national squad for the awards. Though foreign players are better in every position compared to their Nepali counterparts, ANFA does not have a policy to award foreign players. Here is a list of some players likely to win the award in their respective positions.
Goalkeeper
Gangaram Deuja of Nepal Army Club is the favorite to win the best goalkeeper award. He has conceded the lowest 11 goals during the entire league along with Kiran Chemjong of Three Star.
In comparison to Chemjong, Army has conceded fewer goals owing to Deuja"s errors. Similarly, Three Star also has a strong and well-organized defense line-up than that of Army.
Ritesh Thapa of Nepal Police, Dinesh Thapa Magar of Machhidnra and Ajeet Prajapati of Bansbari, which got relegated, are the other contenders for the award.
Defender
Biraj Maharjan of champion Three Star is the favorite for the best defender award. The left back of the national team is better in overlap and was instrumental in the club"s title victory. Maharjan has assisted four goals and played full time in 19 of the 21 matches played by Three Star so far.
Rabin Shrestha of Nepal Police and Sagar Thapa of Friends Club are the other contenders for the position. Thapa, the skipper of Friends and the national team, is among seven players in the league to play the full 90 minutes in all 22 matches of the league.
Midfielder
Prakash Budhathoki and Jagjeet Shrestha, both from NIBL Friends Club, are the strongest contenders for the best midfielder award. Budhathoki has scored a total of six goals in the league, including five in the super league, and also has one assist. Shrestha has scored four goals in the league and has three assists. He is believed to be better in crosses and acute passes.
The other competitors for the position are Bijay Gurung of Three Star, Bhola Silwal of Nepal Police, Karna Limbu of Machhidnra and Shiva Shrestha of MMC. Gurung has six goals and four assists, Silwal seven goals and one assist, and Limbu has four goals and four assists. Similarly, Shrestha of MMC has five goals and two assists.
Forward
Nepali forwards paled in comparison to their African counterparts during the league. Santosh Sahukhala of Three Star, Bharat Khawas of Nepal Army and Amar Dangol of Ranipokhari Corner Team (RCT) hold superiority among the Nepali forwards.
Sahukhala, the skipper of Three Star, is the second highest scorer with 15 goals, one behind Yona Elias Ndabila of Saraswati that did not qualify for the super league. Amar Dangol and Bharat Khawas have scored 11 goals each.
Sahukhala has played the full 90 minutes in 20 of the 21 matches played by Three Star and also has one assist. Khawas has three assists and featured in 20 of his team"s 21 matches. Dangol has played in 20 of RCT"s 22 matches.
Coach
If the tradition of awarding the coach of the champion team continues, Three Star coach Pradip Humagain is the undisputed candidate for the best coach award. The 33-year old Humagain guided Three Star to the league title during his first stint as the coach of a top-tier team.
If ANFA breaks with the tradition, MMC coach Chhiring Lopsang and Friends interim manager Meghraj KC are the other contenders for the title. Both Lopsang and KC had taken charge of their respective teams when the super league began.
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