Qatar’s Akram Afif nominated for third Asian Player of the Year award

Reigning Asian Player of the Year Akram Afif has again been included on the three-man shortlist for the Asian Football Confederation’s annual award, alongside Saudi Arabia’s Salem Al-Dawsari and Arif Aiman of Malaysia. Australian Holly McNamara, Wang Shuang from China and Japanese defender Hana Takahashi have been nominated for the women’s award. Qatari forward Afif, who also won in 2019, would become the first three-times winner of the title should he lift the trophy at a gala ceremony in Riyadh on October 16.