May 11 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has confirmed that its Annual Awards will return this year after a four-year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The AFC Annual Awards were last held in December 2019 in Hong Kong.
The 2023 awards will return on October 31 in Doha, Qatar.
The AFC Executive Committee agreed that the hosting rights would remain with the Qatar Football Association who were originally scheduled to stage the event in 2020 before it was cancelled.
The AFC is currently gathered in Doha for the draw for the upcoming Asian Cup in January 2023, also to be hosted in Qatar.
The AFC crowned their top players and highest performing member associations at a glittering Hong Kong awards ceremony in 2019 that fused modern and traditional Hong Kong with a celebration of the best of Asian football.
Qatar’s Akram Hassan Afif picked up the men’s player of the year award, while Japan’s Saki Kumagai won the women’s.
Full list of winners of 2019 AFC Annual Awards
AFC Player of the Year (Men)
Akram Hassan Afif (Al Saad and QAT)
AFC Player of the Year (Women)
Saki Kumagai (Olympique Lyonnais and JPN)
AFC Asian International Player of the Year
Son Heung-min (KOR)
AFC Futsal Player of the Year
Tomoki Yoshikawa (JPN)
AFC Youth Player of the Year (Women)
Jun Endo (JPN)
AFC Youth Player of the Year (Men)
Lee Kang-in (KOR)
AFC Coach of the Year (Women)
Asako Takakura (JPN)
AFC Coach of the Year (Men)
Chung Jung-yong (KOR)
AFC Member Association of the Year (Inspiring)
Japan Football Association
AFC Member Association of the Year (Developing)
The Hong Kong Football Association LTD.
AFC Member Association of the Year (Aspiring)
Guam Football Association
AFC President Recognition Awards for Grassroots Football (Inspiring)
Chinese Football Association
AFC President Recognition Awards for Grassroots Football (Developing)
Football Association of Singapore
AFC President Recognition Awards for Grassroots Football (Aspiring)
National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam
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