Its been a long time since I've been to this forum (I was here for the Asian Cup), but I've got to say, if the Asian Player of the Year Award list of nominees does not include Park, Nakamura, or Nekounam, it is of very little recognizable value to me. I'm not saying that I discredit the entirety of this list, as there are players like Mahmoud and Lee Woon Jae, but if this award was to be given to the best asian player, most of this list is worthless.
Although you can't say that Europe-based players are automatically better than Asia-based players, you'd have to be an idiot to deny that some of these selections aren't ridiculous. Sota Hirayama: League: J-league League Goals: 2 Cup Goals: 0 Olympic Qualifier Goals: 5 Naohiro Takahara: League: Bundesliga League Goals: 11 Cup Goals: 4 Asian Cup Goals: 4
How the hell Nakamura & Takahara aren't there is beyond me. That Bin Hammami weed they're smoking in the AFC is some strong stuff.
Ismail Matar is the best Player but not niminees Golden Ball at the 2003 World Youth Championships http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZJr-4jM8hc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O15e2NKje_Q http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGBRZb5vQ1o
Seriously Ismael Mattar didnt achive anything neither in Asian Cup nor in the ACL, there`s no reason to nominate him.
Ismail Matar in Gulf Cup Score 5 goals in 5 games, score in ACL 2007 importante goal Quarterfinals. A pregnant woman refused to enter a hospital maternity ward when she found out it had no TV as she wanted to watch the UAE v Oman Gulf Cup final. "I shall be back once my national team has won the coveted championship," she said. True to her word, she returned at the final whistle and named her child Matar after Ismail Matar who had scored the winning goal for UAE. (Khalej Times)
nothing only one curiosity I see in in nominees many sucks player. Sota Hirayama, not play NT, not play in FC Tokyo, not play in NT U-23, not play Asian Cup, not play in ACL. Why is nominees? For me the best Player is MAHMOUD Younis, but Ismail Matar is better of the one than many in nominees, I don´t have doubts!!!
AFC Player of the Year: It is down to 15 nominees 1. AKRAM Nashat (Iraq) 2. AL JENAIBI Abdul (UAE) 3. AL MUTAWA Bader (Kuwait) 4. AL NOOBI Bait (Oman) 5. AL QAHTANI Yasser (Saudi Arabia) 6. DODD Travis (Australia) 7. ENDO Yasuhito (Japan) 8. HAYDAROV Azizbek (Uzbekistan) 9. LEE Won Jae (Korea Republic) 10. MAHMOUD Younis (Iraq) 11. MEHDI Salehi Mohamad (Iran) 12. NAKAMURA Kengo (Japan) 13. NEKOUNAM Javad (Iran) 14. ONO Shinji (Japan) 15. WINOTHAI Teeratep (Thailand) http://www.the-afc.com/english/awards/annual/news/default.asp?action=newsDetails&newsID=9364
France Reports: Marseille In For Mahmoud? Golden Ball goes global Iraq captain wins Facchetti award The World's Most Popular Footballer Amongst Currently Active Players in 2007 Younis, Younis, Younis.
Younis Mahmoud is miles ahead in that list. I'd say 2nd place should go to Yasser Al Qhahtani. Nashat Akram was also brilliant.
Nekounam took his club to the quarter finals of the UEFA Cup, was chosen as the best player of the year of Osasuna, was listed in the UEFA Revelation Squad of the year, the Spanish La Liga Revelation Squad of the year and he was nominated in the list for the best midfielder of La Liga. He played four matches for Team Melli in the Asian Cup and was chosen as the Man of the Match in two of the matches he played. AFC Player of the Year should be chosen on the successes of a player over a whole year not because of one tournament, if they decide about the accomplishments of one year players like Younis Mahmoud and Al Qahtani have nothing to bring in against Nekounam and Nakamura. Giving this award to any player other than Nekounam or Nakamura is ridiculous.
Younis Mahmoud in whole Year * Asian Cup winners * Asian Games runners-up * Asian Cup top scorers * Asian Cup MVP * Nominated AFC Player of the Year 2006 & 2007 * Nominated Arab Player of the Year 2006 & 2007 * Nominated World player of the Year 2007 (the Golden Ball) * won Won the La Gazzetta dello Sport's Facchetti Award * Listed The World's Most Popular Footballer in 2007 by IFFFS * Qatar League top scorers 2006/2007 Give this focking Award to Younis Mahmoud
he took his team to the Semi-Finals of the UEFA, not QF ;-). Yeah, he totally deserves it, although Nakamura is another candidate that deserves it too. It should definitely go to a N-k .. either nEkonaum or nAkamura