Morocco international Tarik Tissoudali has been voted the 2021-22 Player of the Season for Belgian Pro League outfit KAA Gent.
The 29-year-old Atlas Lions scooped the award on the final day of the season after beating Cameroon defender Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui. According to a statement on the club’s official website, Tissoudali garnered 34.93 percent of the votes ahead of Ngadeu-Ngadjui’s 33.15 in the closely contested exercise conducted with the fans.
The award came two days after Tissoudali was voted the Ebony Shoe award winner for the 2021-22 top-flight season after succeeding Nigeria and KRC Genk forward Paul Onuachu.
“After winning the Ebony Shoe, Tarik [Tissoudali] was also voted Player of the Year by our supporters,” Gent confirmed on their official website. “The vote was unusually tense as Mike Ngadeu finished second with only 52 votes less. Third place went to Matisse Samoise.
“Tissoudali thus becomes the 42nd laureate of the Jean-Claude Bouvy trophy and thus follows in the footsteps of Alessio Castro-Montes last season and Jonathan David two seasons ago.”
After failing to score in the final home game against KV Mechelen which Gent lost 2-1 on Saturday, the attacker finished the season with 21 goals, from 34 appearances, having accumulated 2,575 minutes of playing time.
It was against Genk on May 15 when Tissoudali last scored, netting in a 2-0 win. His opening goal of the campaign came in the 2-2 draw against Beerschot on August 1. Last season for Gent, Tissoudali made 14 First Division A appearances, scored five goals, and provided three assists.
Prior to joining Gent in February 2021, Tissoudali made 73 league appearances in total at Beerschot, scoring 20 goals and providing six assists.
Meanwhile, Ngadeu-Ngadjui, who was on target against Mechelen at Ghelamco Arena, finished the season with four top-flight goals from 33 matches. The Indomitable Lion started in all 33 of these appearances across their 40 fixtures.
He opened his account for the First Division A campaign against Mechelen on August 15, scoring during a 2-0 victory. Last season for Gent, Ngadeu made 27 First Division A appearances, scoring one goal and providing one assist.
