Asia’s finest will be celebrated at the AFC Annual Awards Seoul 2023, which recognises and honours the success stories from a spectacular season. Teams, players and fans can look back on the stunning AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ and impressive displays at the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023, as well as highlights from the AFC Champions League™, AFC Cup™, and various national team age-group tournaments.

 

The night will end on a dazzling note with presentations of the prestigious AFC Player of the Year accolades, where Yazan Al Naimat, Seol Young-woo and Akram Afif are the contenders in the Men’s category, while the trio of Cortnee Vine, Kiko Seike and Kim Hye-ri are the frontrunners for the Women’s equivalent.

Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, the AFC President, said: “This edition marks the 28th instance of the AFC Annual Awards and more than ever before, there is plenty of success to reflect on as we gather once again.

“Headlined by the unprecedented success of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™, the grandest ever edition of Asia’s crown jewel, we have experienced one of the most extraordinary seasons in Asian football history.

“The Continent’s world-class players and coaches continued to demonstrate their ability to shine on the biggest stages, only made possible thanks to the concerted efforts of our cherished Member Associations and Regional Associations, and we will honour all who have established holistic systems of excellence that have elevated the standards of the Asian game.”

A total of 21 accolades will be announced on the evening, including the newly introduced AFC International Player of the Year (Women), which recognises the sustained excellence of Asia’s world-class women footballers and features Australia’s Ellie Carpenter and Japan’s Yui Hasegawa as the pair of maiden nominees.

Also debuting this year are the AFC Asian Cup Host Appreciation Award and the AFC President’s Recognition Award for Outstanding Contribution.

 

Korea Republic will host the AFC Annual Awards for the first time and the AFC President added: “I can think of no better place to commemorate our success this past year than the Korea Republic – a vibrant nation that truly encapsulates the trajectory of progress of Asian football. I would like to convey our utmost appreciation to the Korea Football Association for their warm hospitality and outstanding hosting capabilities in what promises to be a memorable night.”

The following award categories will be announced at the AFC Annual Awards Seoul 2023 and presented at another special event:

 

 

For the full list of nominees, click HERE, and for live streaming of Tuesday’s AFC Annual Awards Seoul 2023 (starting from 8pm Korea Standard Time (GMT+9)), please visit the-AFC.com.