Talented striker Mohammad Rafi was adjudged the best Indian footballer and Odafe Onyeka Okolie the best foreign footballer for the second year running at the Lucozade Sport Football Players' Association of India (FPAI) Awards here on Sunday.
At a glittering ceremony at the Taj Palace, Joaquim Abranches of Dempo emerged the best young player, Armando Colaco (Dempo) the best coach and Pune FC goalkeeper Subrata Paul took the Fan's Player Award.
Rafi, now with Churchill Brothers, overcame midfielder Anthony Pereira while Paul beat Ogba Kalu in the online voting. Odafe (Churchill Brothers) got the better of Roberto Mendez Silva (Dempo) and Colaco was adjudged best ahead of Derek Periera of Pune FC. Pereira, however, was nominated GSK Fittest Player of the Year by the senior players of the Indian team.
Players from 14 I-league teams had voted through secret ballots to pick the winners in all the categories except the Fan's Player Award that was completed through online voting.
