Al Sadd ahead Afif received the award for the second one date then important Qatar to the AFC Asian Cup identify at house in 2023.
Qatar’s Akram Afif has been named the Asian Soccer Confederation’s Participant of the Era for a 2nd date, along side Kiko Seike from Japan, who join the ladies’s identify on the regional frame’s annual awards rite in Seoul.
Afif, who had prior to now received the award in 2019, was once offered with the trophy following his instrumental performances in Qatar’s a hit defence in their Asian Cup identify on house park previous within the 12 months.
“I’m nervous like I’m about to take a penalty in the final,” Afif stated as he permitted the award on Monday.
“I thank my spouse and all of the nationwide crew individuals, coaches, directors and clinical crew.
“I will try again to win this award for a third time.”
In February, the 27-year-old Al Sadd ahead was the primary participant to attain a hat-trick within the Asian Cup ultimate and netted 8 occasions during the event to hold the award forward of Jordan’s Yazan Al-Naimat and South Korean Seol Younger-woo.
Afif is handiest the 3rd participant to win the trophy a couple of occasions, following Japan’s Hidetoshi Nakata, who received in 1997 and 1998, and Server Djeparov of Uzbekistan, who received in 2008 and 2011.
Seike succeeds Australia’s Sam Kerr to win the ladies’s award forward of Australia’s Cortnee Vine and Kim Hye-ri of South Korea and is the fourth Eastern participant to say the identify then Homare Sawa, Saki Kumagai and three-time winner Aya Miyama.
The striker’s method was once key to Urawa Purple Diamonds’ identify win within the Asian Ladies’s Membership Championship in 2023. She helped her membership hold a 2nd consecutive Eastern home league identify earlier than signing for Brighton & Hove Albion in July.
“I’m very happy to receive this prestigious award”, Seike stated by the use of video message.
Tottenham Hotspur’s Son Heung-min was once named the AFC Males’s World Participant of the Era. Australian Ellie Chippie received the ladies’s award, recognising gamers who’ve made the largest affect at the international level out of doors of Asian competitions.
Move Oiwa received Educator of the Era then important Japan to the Underneath-23 Asian Cup and the quarterfinals of the Olympic Video games, with Terrain Younger-jeon, head lecturer of South Korea’s Underneath-20s, profitable the ladies’s identify.
🇶🇦 Akram Afif etches his identify within the pantheon of Asian soccer legends as soon as once more!#AFCAwards2023 pic.twitter.com/MKfzRHwmpq
— AFC (@theafcdotcom) October 29, 2024