Qatar's Akram Afif named Asian Player of the Year for second time

Forward recognised for domestic double and Asian Cup exploits

Qatar forward Akram Afif receives the trophy for AFC Player of the Year from Fifa president Gianni Infantino. AFP

Qatar's Akram Afif was named Asian men's player of the year by the AFC on Tuesday, while Japan's Kiko Seike took home the women's award.

Forward Afif led Qatar to the Asian Cup title at the start of the year, being named player of the tournament and winning the golden boot with eight goals, including a hat-trick of penalties against Jordan in the final.

It was the second time the 27-year-old had been named Asian player of the year. He also won the prize in 2019 after winning the Asian Cup with Qatar for the first time.

Afif, who had stints in European football with Belgium's Eupen and La Liga's Sevilla earlier in his career, also led his club side Al Sadd to a domestic double in Qatar.

"I want to thank my wife, teammates and all the national team coaches and administrative staff," he said at the AFC award ceremony in Seoul. "I will try my best to win this award for a third time."

Afif became the third player to win the award more than once, following in the footsteps of Japan's Hidetoshi Nakata and Uzbekistan's Server Djeparov.

Seike won the women's prize after scoring 20 goals to help Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies win the Japanese domestic title for a second straight year.

Forward Seike was also influential as Urawa won the Asian club title, and was part of the Japan squad that reached the quarter-finals at the Paris Olympics.

"I am very happy to receive this prestigious award," said Seike, who joined England's Brighton in July.

"I will continue to do my best for my club, the national team and to raise the value of Asian football."

The AFC has a separate prize for players based overseas and named Tottenham Hotspur forward Son Heung-min as Asia’s international player of the year for the fourth time.

Son, who captains both Tottenham and the South Korea national team, also won the prize in 2015, 2017 and 2019, and takes over the trophy from compatriot Kim Min-jae of Bayern Munich.

Australia’s Ellie Carpenter, who plays for French club Lyon, became the inaugural winner of the women’s international award.

The men’s coach of the year honour went to Japan’s Go Oiwa, who became the first ever two-time winner. Having clinched it in 2018 for his achievements with Kashima Antlers, Oiwa was recognised this time for his international exploits after guiding Japan to a record second AFC U23 Asian Cup crown in May.

Meanwhile, the women’s equivalent was awarded to Park Youn-jeong, making her the second winner from South Korea after Kim Tae-hee in 2010.

Park, now 35, made history as the youngest ever head coach to take the reins of the South Korea national team at any age group with her appointment to the U20 women’s side in 2023, and guided them to the last 16 of the 2024 Fifa U20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia.