AFC Nominates Players for 2023 Awards

Akram Afif of Qatar has been nominated for the AFC Player of the Year award for the second time, competing against Jordan's Yazan Al Naimat and South Korea's Seol Young-woo. Afif is favored to win after a stellar performance in the 2023 Asian Cup, where he scored a hat-trick in the final and recorded eight goals and three assists throughout the tournament. Al Naimat also had a significant impact, scoring four goals and assisting twice, helping Jordan reach the final for the first time. In the women's category, Australia's Courtnee Vine, Japan's Kiko Seike, and South Korea's Kim Hye-ri are nominated, with the winners to be announced in Seoul on October 29. Additionally, recently departed Australia coach Graham Arnold is in contention for Men's Coach of the Year alongside Japan's Go Oiwa and South Korea's Hwang Sun-hong.