The awards will arrive for Doha on October 31, will be the first since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Annual Awards are back and are set to be held at the Qatar National Convention Centre following a four-year hiatus.
Several stars have been nominated for the October 31 award show in Doha, where the most outstanding athletes of the Asian football season will be recognised.
In nomination for the AFC Player of the Year, Qatar’s Almoez Ali, alongside Saudi Arabia’s Salem Al Dawsari and Australia’s Mathew Leckie, could have their chance to be called up to the stage for their performance in the 2022/23 football season.
Ali marked several achievements last year as he appeared in his 200-game mark for his club Al Duhail SC and became Qatar’s joint all-time top scorer with 42 goals.
The striker has been a central pillar for Qatar football since his breakout in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup campaign. Ali struck a crucial goal in the semi-final of the Asian Cup, gifting Felix Sanchez’s side a 2-0 lead against the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Ali’s historic strike was his eighth in six matches in the UAE.
Al Dawsari is no stranger to the region as he has lifted 16 trophies with club Al-Hilal, including five Saudi Pro League titles, three King Cups, Saudi Supercups, and Saudi Crown Prince Cups, as well as two AFC Champions League titles.
The veteran striker etched his name in FIFA history when he stunned eventual champions Argentina in the 2022 Qatar World Cup group matches.
Delivering one of the most significant moments in Saudi Arabia’s football history, it’s an obvious choice that the 32-year-old striker made his way onto the nominations for the AFC Player of the Year.
Australia’s Leckie threw down an incredible performance as he scored nine times for club Melbourne City FC as they lifted their third straight A-League Premier title in 2022.
The feat has only ever been accomplished once before in Australian men’s national league history and still stands as one of the most outstanding achievements for Australian football.
At the World Cup stage, Leckie scored the lone goal of the game against Denmark to seal a Round of 16, which would ultimately be his country’s best-ever finish since 2006.
Women Nominees
Samantha Kerr, Zhang Linyan, and Saki Kumagai are up for the AFC Women’s Player of the Year in the women’s category.
Kerr became Australia’s all-time top scorer for all athletes during the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup India, where she also won the Golden Boot.
Her 55th goal in 69 Women’s Super League (WSL) games led her to capture the famed prize.
At the club level, Kerr has received several prestigious honors for her glorious display on the pitch, claiming the WSL Player and Goal of the Season awards.
Meanwhile, China’s Zhang Linyan also made her mark at the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup India 2022, scoring the equaliser against South Korea in the tournament’s final.
Ultimately winning the title, the victory for Linyan’s Chinese side came after a 16 year drought.
Lastly, Japan’s renowned Saki Kumagai is in nomination after being the last athlete to win the AFC Women’s Player of the Year at the 2019 AFC Annual Award.
With a chance to win back-to-back, Kumagai has been victorious as of late as she guided FC Bayern Munich in their successful quest for a fourth Bundesliga title.
Kumagai was made available on the international stage as she defended her squad into the semi-finals at the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup in India.
Full nominee lists
AFC Player of the Year
Mathew Leckie (Melbourne City and AUS)
Almoez Ali (Al Duhail SC and QAT)
Salem Al Dawsari (Al Hilal SFC and KSA)
AFC Women’s Player of the Year
Samantha Kerr (Chelsea FC and AUS)
Zhang Linyan (Guangzhou Women’s/Wuhan Women’s FC/Grasshopper Club Zurich and CHN)
Saki Kumagai (FC Bayern Munich and JPN)
AFC Asian International Player of the Year
Mehdi Taremi (FC Porto and IRN)
Kaoru Mitoma (Royale Union Saint Gilloise/Brighton & Hove Albion and JPN)
Kim Min-jae (Fenerbahce/SSC Napoli and KOR)
AFC Futsal Player of the Year
Moslem Oladghobad (IRN)
Saeid Ahmad Abbasi (IRN)
Guilherme Kuromoto (JPN)
AFC Coach of the Year (Men’s)
Graham Arnold (AUS)
Hajime Moriyasu (JPN)
Saad Al Shehri (KSA)
AFC Coach of the Year (Women’s)
Shui Qingxia (CHN)
Tomomi Miyamoto (JPN)
Kim Eun-jung (KOR)
AFC Youth Player of the Year (Men’s)
Amin Hazbavi (Foolad FC and IRN)
Kuryu Matsuki (Aomori Yamada High School/FC Tokyo and JPN)
Lee Seung-won (Gangwon FC and KOR)
AFC Youth Player of the Year (Women’s)
Mary Fowler (Manchester City and AUS)
Huo Yuexin (Jiangsu Youth Women’s Club and CHN)
Maika Hamano (INAC Kobe Leonessa and JPN)
AFC Member Association of the Year (Platinum)
Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran
Japan Football Association
Uzbekistan Football Association
AFC Member Association of the Year (Diamond)
The Kyrgyz Football Union
Lebanese Football Association
Vietnam Football Federation
AFC Member Association of the Year (Gold)
The Football Association of Hong Kong, China Limited
Kuwait Football Association
All Nepal Football Association
AFC Member Association of the Year (Ruby)
Guam Football Association
AFC Regional Association of the Year
Asean Football Federation
Central Asian Football Association
South Asian Football Federation
AFC President Recognition Awards for Grassroots Football (Gold)
Football Australia
Chinese Football Association
Japan Football Association
AFC President Recognition Awards for Grassroots Football (Silver)
Guam Football Association
Philippine Football Federation
The Football Association of Thailand
AFC President Recognition Awards for Grassroots Football (Bronze)
Football Association of Brunei Darussalam
All India Football Federation
Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran
Syrian Football Association
AFC Referees Special Award
Chris Beath (AUS) – Referee,
Anton Shchetinin (AUS) – Assistant Referee,
Ashley Beecham (AUS) – Assistant Referee,
Ammar Aljneibi (UAE) – Support Video Assistant Referee
