October 2 – Having battled against each other for their nations in the 2023 Asian Cup final in February, Jordanian striker Yazan Al Naimat and Qatar’s mercurial Arkram Afif will do battle again in the AFC’s Player of the Year awards.
They will be joined by South Korean full back Seol Young-woo in the final three nominations for the award.
Akram Afif will start as favourite for the award after a stunning Asian Cup where he became the first player to score a hat-trick in a final, finishing with eight goals and three assists to win the Most Valuable Player and Top Scorer titles. At club level he drove Al Sadd SC’s charge to a record 17th Qatar Star League title with 26 goals and 11 assists from 22 matches. Afif won the award in 2019 after Qatar’s first Asian Cup title.
Al Naimat was one of the breakout stars at the Asian Cup, scoring four and contributing two assists as the Jordanians out together a fairy tale run to the final. Three of his goals came in the crucial knock-out stages of the Round of 16 and Semi-final, as well as his country’s maiden goal in the final.
He has continued his goal run scoring three times to help Jordan top their group in the second round of the AFC Asian Qualifiers as they chase a debut slot at the 2026 World Cup.
Less high profile but certainly not less dominant, Seol has propelled himself into the South Korean team with a series of strong performances following his senior debut in June 2023. He started every game of their AFC Asian Cup campaign in Qatar, setting up their stoppage-time equaliser in the last 16 against Saudi Arabia.
Women take centre stage
The AFC Women’s Player of the Year final nominations see Australian striker Courtnee Vine up against Japanese forward Kiko Seike and South Korean captain Kim Hye-ri.
Vine starred at the 2023 World Cup scoring the winning penalty kick against France that put the Aussies into the semi-finals. She played in all seven Australia games. At club level she scored 10 goals and had six assists to take Sydney FC to a record fifth A-League Women championship.
Seike, in her 10th season at Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies, hammered in 20 goals and had a further 10 assists in just 22 as Urawa won the their second consecutive WE League title. At the AFC Women’s Club Championship 2023, she in all four games to finish with seven goals and help Urawa lift their maiden Continental title.
South Korean skipper Kim led the Taeguk Ladies to their third consecutive Women’s World Cup in 2023, where they notableheld Germany to a 1-1 draw. Kim also skippered Hyundai Steel Red Angels to an 11th straight WK League title and a runners-up finish at the AFC Women’s Club Championship 2023.
or the AisanAsia’s finest, headlined by the coveted AFC Player of the Year and AFC Women’s Player of the Year accolades, will be crowned on October 29 when the 28th edition of the AFC Annual Awards take place at the stunning Grand Peace Palace of the Kyung Hee University.
The 28th edition of the AFC Annual Awards Seoul 2023, being staged in South Korea Republic at the Grand Peace Palace of the Kyung Hee University, will be held October 29.
The AFC will give out 18 awards.
AFC Annual Awards 2023 nominees:
AFC Player of the Year
Yazan Al Naimat (Al Ahli SC/Al Arabi SC and JOR)
Seol Young-woo (Ulsan HD/Crvena Zvezda and KOR)
Akram Afif (Al Sadd SC and QAT)
AFC Women’s Player of the Year
Cortnee Vine (Sydney FC/North Carolina Courage and AUS)
Kiko Seike (Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies/Brighton Hove & Albion and JPN)
Kim Hye-ri (Hyundai Steel Red Angels and KOR)
AFC Asian International Player of the Year (Men)
Mehdi Taremi (FC Porto/Internazionale and IRN)
Mousa Al Tamari (Montpellier HSC and JOR)
Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur and KOR)
AFC Asian International Player of the Year (Women)
Ellie Carpenter (Olympique Lyonnais and AUS)
Yui Hasegawa (Manchester City and JPN)
AFC Futsal Player of the Year
Saeid Ahmad Abbasi (IRN)
Fayzali Sardorov (TJK)
Dilshod Rakhmatov (UZB)
AFC Coach of the Year (Men)
Graham Arnold (Australia and AUS)
Go Oiwa (Japan U23 and JPN)
Hwang Sun-hong (Korea Republic U23 and KOR)
AFC Coach of the Year (Women)
Leah Blayney (Australia Women U20 and AUS)
Tomomi Miyamoto (Japan Women and JPN)
Park Youn-jeong (Korea Republic Women U20 and KOR)
AFC Youth Player of the Year (Men)
Gaku Nawata (Kamimura Gakuen High School and JPN)
Bae Jun-ho (Daejon Hana Citizen FC/Stoke City and KOR)
Abbosbek Fayzullaev (CSKA Moscow and UZB)
AFC Youth Player of the Year (Women)
Daniela Galic (Melbourne City/FC Twente and AUS)
Chae Un Yong (Wolmido SC and PRK)
Casey Phair (Angel City FC and KOR)
AFC Member Association of the Year (Platinum)
Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran
Japan Football Association
Korea Football Association
AFC Member Association of the Year (Diamond)
Chinese Football Association
Football Association of Thailand
Vietnam Football Federation
AFC Member Association of the Year (Gold)
Chinese Taipei Football Association
The Football Association of Hong Kong, China Limited
All Nepal Football Association
AFC Member Association of the Year (Ruby)
Bhutan Football Federation
Guam Football Association
Lao Football Federation
AFC Regional Association of the Year
Central Asian Football Association
East Asian Football Federation
South Asian Football Federation
AFC President Recognition Awards for Grassroots Football (Gold)
Football Australia
Chinese Football Association
Football Association of Singapore
AFC President Recognition Awards for Grassroots Football (Silver)
Guam Football Association
All India Football Federation
The Football Association of Thailand
AFC President Recognition Awards for Grassroots Football (Bronze)
Football Federation of Cambodia
Chinese Taipei Football Association
Vietnam Football Federation
AFC Referees Special Award
Yuichi Hatano (JPN)
Turki’ Abdullah Al Salehi (OMA)
Ibrahim Yousif Al Raeesi (UAE)
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1727857016labto1727857016ofdlr1727857016owedi1727857016sni@n1727857016osloh1727857016cin.l1727857016uap1727857016
