Valletta duo Jonathan Caruana and Roderick Briffa, Balzan strikers Alfred Effiong and Lydon Micallef, and Hibernians midfielder Bjorn Kristensen are the five candidates for the 2015/16 MFA Footballer of the Year award.
The Malta Football Association announced the finalists in each category after voting closed last Friday.
Club coaches and captains, Malta FA coaches and a panel of football journalists were eligible to vote.
The winners will be announced during the MFA Awards night, being held at the Mediterranean Conference Centre, Valletta, on May 20.
Caruana, the Valletta captain who plays in defence, and midfielder Briffa played a starring role in their club’s Premier League title success while fellow Malta international Kristensen had a very good season for Hibs who finished runners-up.
Malta striker Effiong and Micallef also caught the eye with a series of lively performances that enabled Balzan to stay in the race for the title until the final weeks of the season besides reaching the FA Trophy final.
A tally of 16 goals saw Effiong place second in the scorers’ list alongside Valletta’s Federico Falcone while Micallef was third with 15 goals, level with Hibs’ playmaker Gilmar Ribeiro.
Of the five contenders for the MFA footballer of the year award, won by Hibs’ Andrew Cohen last year, only Briffa has claimed the honour before, in 2011.
Falcone and Gilmar have been shortlisted for the best foreign player award along with Valletta’s Jhonnattann Benites.
Valletta coach Paul Zammit, Branko Nisevic, of Hibernians, and Jacques Scerri, who led Tarxien Rainbows to a sixth-place finish in his first season in the top flight, are the three nominees for the best coach award.
Llywelyn Cremona (Valletta), Jurgen Degabriele (Hibs) and Luke Montebello (Tarxien Rainbows) are in the race for the best young player award.
In Division One, the best player accolade will go to one of the following: Haruna Garba (Ħamrun Spartans), Raphael Kooh Sohna (Gżira United) and James Aud-Gustine Obaje (Senglea Athletic).
The other nominees
BOV Second Division Best Player: Lazar Doric (Mġarr United); Muda Fagbeja (Għargħur); Giovanni Galea (Sirens).
BOV Third Division Best Player: Andrew Agius (Sta Luċija); Anton Florin (Għaxaq); Mohammed Telessi (Sta Luċija).
BOV Women’s League Best Player: Stephania Farrugia (Birkirkara); Dorianne Theuma (Hibs); Shona Zammit (Hibs).
Best Youth Player: James Brincat (Mosta); Jurgen Degabriele (Hibs); Paul Lapira (Balzan).
GFA Player of the Year: Shaun Bajada (Għajnsielem); Elton Vella (Kerċem Ajax); Joseph George Vella (Għajnsielem).
Futsal Player of the Year: Karl Azzopardi (Luxol); Melvin Borg (Valletta); Jovica Milijic (Valletta).