|
AFC - Winning top honours at
the AFC Player of the Year Awards is the ultimate accolade for players,
coaches, teams and officials who strive for excellence across the Asian
continent.
The countdown to the 2003 Awards begins today with the AFC announcing the
nominees for this year’s gala event on December 10, 2003 at the Sheraton
Imperial, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
For the first time in AFC history, the Awards are being held within a
calendar year, ensuring a closer focus on the performances of 2003.
There are three nominees for each category. With Asian football reaching
unprecedented heights over the past year, the quality of nominees in 2003 is
higher than ever before.
The nominees are as follows:
AFC PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Mehdi Mahdavikia (Hamburg and IR Iran) – Led goal assist charts in helping
Hamburg to fourth in the Bundesliga and German League Cup glory.
Maksim Shatskikh (Dynamo Kiev and Uzbekistan) – Top goalscorer in Ukraine
League and scored in Kiev’s 2-1 Champions League win over Arsenal.
Therdsak Chaiman (BEC Tero Sasana and Thailand) – AFC Champions League MVP,
Asean Club Championship MVP and prolific goalscorer.
AFC YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Younis Mahmoud (Al Talaba and Iraq) – Young striker has established himself
as an integral part of Iraqi national and Olympic teams.
Yoshito Okubo (Cerezo Osaka and Japan) – Free-scoring striker is among the
leading goal-scorers in J-League and a national team regular.
Ismail Mattar (Al Wahda and UAE) – Key part of his country’s football set-up
at national, Olympic and under-20 levels.
AFC COACH OF THE YEAR
Cha Kyung-bok (Seongnam) – Led Seongnam to third straight K-League title.
Farhad Kazemi (Sepahan) – Sepahan became first team from outside Tehran to
win Iran Pro League.
Ri Song-gun (DPR Korea women’s team) – Coached DPR Korea to second straight
AFC Women’s Championship title.
AFC WOMEN’S PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Ri Kum-suk (DPR Korea) – Scored 15 goals as DPR Korea defended AFC Women’s
Championship title.
Mio Otani (Japan) – Scored eight-minute hat-trick at FIFA Women’s World Cup
USA 2003.
Bai Jie (China) – “Lady Roberto Carlos”, converted from defender to striker,
helped China to quarter-finals of FIFA Women’s World Cup USA 2003.
AFC NATIONAL TEAM OF THE YEAR
Oman national team – Asian Cup, China 2004 qualifiers, top of Group E.
Iraq national team – Asian Cup, China 2004 qualifiers, top of Group F.
Kuwait national team – Asian Cup, China 2004 qualifiers, top of Group B.
AFC CLUB OF THE YEAR
Al Ain (United Arab Emirates) – Inaugural AFC Champions League winners.
Sepahan (IR Iran) – First-time Iran Pro League champions.
Seongnam Chunma (Korea Republic) – Third straight K-League title.
AFC WOMEN’S TEAM OF THE YEAR
China national team – FIFA Women’s World Cup USA 2003 quarter-finals.
DPR Korea national team – AFC Women’s Championship winners.
Korea Republic national team – Third in AFC Women’s Championship.
AFC FUTSAL TEAM OF THE YEAR
IR Iran – AFC Futsal Championship 2003 champions.
Japan – AFC Futsal Championship 2003 runners-up.
Thailand – AFC Futsal Championship 2003 third place.
AFC MATCH OFFICIAL OF THE YEAR
Moradi Masoud (Referee, IR Iran) – FIFA Confederations Cup 2003.
Liu Teijun (Assistant Referee, China) – FIFA World Youth Championship 2003.
Shamsul Maidin (Referee, Singapore) – FIFA World Youth Championship 2003.
Other awards to be presented on the night are AFC Fair Play Award and AFC
Photograph of the Year. |
