The Asian Footballer of the Year is an award that annually honors Asian

Asian

Asian refers to an inhabitant of Asia, or someone of Asian descent.In the Americas, the term refers almost exclusively to those from the Asia pacific region, such as China, Japan, South Korea or Vietnam....

 footballer

Football (soccer)

Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...

 each year, has been conferred by Asian Football Confederation

Asian Football Confederation

The Asian Football Confederation is the governing body of association football in Asia. It has 46 member countries, mostly located on the Asian continent. However, due to the disputed boundary of Europe and Asia, nations such as Russia and Turkey which are located mostly in geographic Asia are...

 (AFC) since 1994. While Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

's and Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

's Footballer of the year by journalists juries are selected, this honor is based officially by the Asian Football Confederation, which 10 more awards at an annual gala, named amongst Asia's coach of the year. The AFC sees the honours as a testament to the high level on the Asian football now moves. Asian teams and players so far still far behind the competition from Europe and South America

South America

South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...

, also behind Africa

Africa

Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...

 lie back on a worldwide comparison, but approaching the Asian Football of top of the world. The top teams in the Asian national teams are also the most player of the year. The awards are in the context of a gala, made the annual awards ceremony, which is traditionally held in Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...

.

Before 1994, the vote was taken only unofficially. The IFFHS chose a player from 1988 to 1991, 1992, no player was named, in 1993, the first time, appointment was when still unofficial by the AFC. Meantime - up to 2000 - has the title of Asia's player of the year as the Asian Football Confederation's Sanyo player of the year award awarded.

Since 2002, there is a law that the only players who attending the ceremony can win this award and because it, many notable players such as Keisuke Honda

Keisuke Honda

is a Japanese footballer who currently plays for Russian CSKA Moscow and the Japan national football team. His current position is as a deep-lying playmaker, but he can equally play as an attacking midfielder or second striker. He is also a very skilled free kick taker scoring one in the FIFA World...

, Park Ji-Sung

Park Ji-Sung

Park Ji-Sung is a South Korean footballer who plays as a midfielder for English club Manchester United. He was also the captain of the South Korean national team until his retirement from international football...

, Javad Nekounam

Javad Nekounam

Javad Nekounam is an Iranian footballer who plays for CA Osasuna in La Liga.Usually playing as a central midfielder, he is known for his passing ability, defensive acumen, ball distribution and powerful long-range shots. He represented his national team over 120 times.-Early years / UAE:Having...

, Park Chu-Young

Park Chu-Young

Park Chu-Young is a South Korean footballer who plays for Arsenal in the Premier League and is the current captain for the South Korea national team.-Youth career:...

 and Shinji Kagawa

Shinji Kagawa

is a Japanese footballer who plays for German Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund. He previously played for Cerezo Osaka. He has been capped by Japan at international level.-Club career:...

 never won this award.

Winners

Year	Place	Player	Nationality	Club	Points
1988	1st	Ahmed Radhi	Iraq Iraq Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....	Al-Rasheed	26
1989	1st	Kim Joo-Sung	South Korea South Korea The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...	Daewoo Royals	38
1990	1st	Kim Joo-Sung	South Korea South Korea The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...	Daewoo Royals	36
	2nd	Farshad Pious Farshad Pious Farshad Pious is a retired Iranian football player who was a striker for a number of clubs in Iran, most notably Persepolis F.C., as well as Iran national football team.-Club career:...	Iran Iran Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...	Persepolis	28
	3rd	Adnan Al-Talyani	UAE	Al Shaab	16
1991	1st	Kim Joo-Sung	South Korea South Korea The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...	Daewoo Royals	31
	2nd	Chung Yong-Hwan	South Korea South Korea The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...	Daewoo Royals	28
	3rd	Samad Marfavi Samad Marfavi Abdolsamad Marfavi is an Iranian football coach, manager, and former player.-Club career:He played his whole player career for IPL giants Esteghlal.-International career:...	Iran Iran Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...	Esteghlal	16
1992	1st	No Award
1993	1st	Kazuyoshi Miura Kazuyoshi Miura ----Kazuyoshi Miura , often known simply as Kazu, is a Japanese football striker. He has played for the Japanese national team and was the first Japanese recipient of the Asian Player of the Year award in 1993, an award presented annually by the Asian Football Confederation. He is currently with...	Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...	Verdy Kawasaki	30
	2nd	Yousuf Al-Thunayan Yousuf Al-Thunayan Yousuf Al-Thunayan is a former association football midfielder from Saudi Arabia. During his active career he played 94 international matches and scored 26 goals for the national team. At the age of 34 he was selected for his first and only Football World Cup, and appeared in two games, scoring...	Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...	Al-Hilal Al-Hilal Al-Hilal Saudi Football Club , also known simply as Al-Hilal, is a Saudi Arabian sports club based in the country's capital of Riyadh and best known for its professional football team, known as Al-Hilal Saudi Football Club...	17
	3rd	Mehdi Fonounizadeh Mehdi Fonounizadeh Mehdi Fonounizadeh is an Iranian football former player.-Honours:* Gold Medal winner at 1990 Asian Games, as member of the Iran national football team....	Iran Iran Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...	Bank Tejarat Bank Tejarat F.C. Bank Tejarat Football Club was an Iranian football club based in Tehran, Iran. It was owned by Bank Tejarat, a state owned bank in Iran. In 1989, Parviz Abutaleb owner of Bootan F.C...	13
1994	1st	Saeed Owairan Saeed Owairan Saeed Al-Owairan is a former Saudi Arabian international footballer. He played for the Saudi national team at the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the USA, in which he scored the goal that was later voted the 6th best in FIFA's Goal of the Century rankings...	Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...	Al-Shabab
	2nd
	3rd
1995	1st	Masami Ihara	Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...	Yokohama Marinos Yokohama F. Marinos is a Japanese association football team that participates in the fully professional J. League Division 1; the top Japanese professional football league. Having won the J-League title three times and finished second twice, they are one of the most successful J-League clubs. The team are based in...
	2nd
	3rd
1996	1st	Khodadad Azizi Khodadad Azizi Khodadad Azizi is an Iranian retired professional football striker and a current coach.-International career:Azizi represented Iran at the 1996 Asian cup, 1998 FIFA World Cup, and the 2000 Asian Cup...	Iran Iran Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...	Bahman Bahman F.C. Bahman Karaj Football Club was an Iranian football club based in Karaj, Iran. In 1993, the rights and licenses of two football clubs Vahdat F.C. and Bank Sepah F.C. were purchased and Bahman F.C. entered the league. In the early years, the bulk of players were from Pas Tehran F.C...
	2nd	Ali Daei Ali Daei Ali Daei is an Iranian retired football player and former national team coach who currently manages a local Iranian team, Rah Ahan. He is a former captain of the Iran national football team, and is the world's all-time leading goalscorer in international matches...	Iran Iran Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...	Persepolis
	3rd	Ko Jeong-Woon	South Korea South Korea The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...	Cheonan Ilhwa Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma is a South Korean professional football club, based in Seongnam, South Korea, that plays in the K-League...
1997	1st	Hidetoshi Nakata Hidetoshi Nakata , is a retired Japanese football player. He was one of the most famous Asian footballers of his generation.Nakata began his professional career in 1995 and won the Asian Football Confederation Player of the Year award in 1997 and 1998, the Scudetto with A.S...	Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...	Bellmare
	2nd	Khodadad Azizi Khodadad Azizi Khodadad Azizi is an Iranian retired professional football striker and a current coach.-International career:Azizi represented Iran at the 1996 Asian cup, 1998 FIFA World Cup, and the 2000 Asian Cup...	Iran Iran Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...	Persepolis
	3rd	Karim Bagheri Karim Bagheri Karim Bagheri is a retired professional Iranian player, most notably playing for Persepolis in the Iran Pro League. He was known as a two-footed midfielder and is famous for his powerful and thundering long range shots and free kicks.-Early years:...	Iran Iran Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...	Persepolis
1998	1st	Hidetoshi Nakata Hidetoshi Nakata , is a retired Japanese football player. He was one of the most famous Asian footballers of his generation.Nakata began his professional career in 1995 and won the Asian Football Confederation Player of the Year award in 1997 and 1998, the Scudetto with A.S...	Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...	Perugia Perugia Calcio Associazione Calcistica Perugia Calcio is an Italian association football club based in Perugia, Umbria, direct heir of the old Perugia Calcio and A.C. Perugia, excluded from Italian football because of financial troubles....
	2nd	Fan Zhiyi Fan Zhiyi Fan Zhiyi is a former professional football player from the People's Republic of China. A folk hero and football icon in his native country he was considered a trailblazer when he moved to English club Crystal Palace to become the first Chinese person to do so. Internationally he would go on to...	China China Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...	Crystal Palace Crystal Palace F.C. Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
	3rd	Jasem Al Huwaidi	Kuwait Kuwait The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...	Al-Salmiya Al Salmiya Club Al-Salmiya Sporting Club is a Kuwaiti professional football and sports club in Salmiya. They have won the Kuwait division four times, most recently in 2000...
1999	1st	Ali Daei Ali Daei Ali Daei is an Iranian retired football player and former national team coach who currently manages a local Iranian team, Rah Ahan. He is a former captain of the Iran national football team, and is the world's all-time leading goalscorer in international matches...	Iran Iran Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...	Hertha Berlin Hertha BSC Berlin Hertha Berliner Sport-Club von 1892, commonly known as Hertha BSC or Hertha Berlin, is a German association football club based in Berlin. A founding member of the German Football Association in Leipzig in 1900, the club has a long history as Berlin's best-supported side...
	2nd	Hidetoshi Nakata Hidetoshi Nakata , is a retired Japanese football player. He was one of the most famous Asian footballers of his generation.Nakata began his professional career in 1995 and won the Asian Football Confederation Player of the Year award in 1997 and 1998, the Scudetto with A.S...	Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...	Perugia Perugia Calcio Associazione Calcistica Perugia Calcio is an Italian association football club based in Perugia, Umbria, direct heir of the old Perugia Calcio and A.C. Perugia, excluded from Italian football because of financial troubles....
	3rd	Sun Wen	China China Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...	China China women's national football team The China women's national football team represents the People's Republic of China in international women's football.- Records :China had held the record of going for 442 minutes without conceding a World Cup goal, until it was broken by Germany on September 26, 2007, when Germany beat Norway 3-0...
2000	1st	Nawaf Al Temyat	Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...	Al-Hilal Al-Hilal Al-Hilal Saudi Football Club , also known simply as Al-Hilal, is a Saudi Arabian sports club based in the country's capital of Riyadh and best known for its professional football team, known as Al-Hilal Saudi Football Club...
	2nd	Hiroshi Nanami Hiroshi Nanami is a former professional footballer for Júbilo Iwata of the J. League Division 1. He was born in Shizuoka Prefecture.-Playing career:Nanami was a key figure for the Japan national team throughout the late 1990s and during the early part of this century....	Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...	Júbilo Iwata Júbilo Iwata is a professional Japanese association football team currently playing in the J. League Division 1 . The team name Júbilo means 'joy' in Portuguese and Spanish. The team's home town is Iwata, Shizuoka prefecture and they play at Yamaha Stadium...
	3rd	Ryuzo Morioka	Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...	Shimizu S-Pulse Shimizu S-Pulse is a professional Japanese association football club. Located in Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka, Shizuoka Prefecture, S-Pulse currently competes in the J. League Division 1 . Formed as recently as 1991, S-Pulse are one of the youngest professional teams in Japan, but are among only five to have competed in...
2001	1st	Fan Zhiyi Fan Zhiyi Fan Zhiyi is a former professional football player from the People's Republic of China. A folk hero and football icon in his native country he was considered a trailblazer when he moved to English club Crystal Palace to become the first Chinese person to do so. Internationally he would go on to...	China China Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...	Dundee Dundee F.C. Dundee Football Club, founded in 1893, are a football club based in the city of Dundee, Scotland. They are nicknamed The Dee or The Dark Blues and play their home matches at Dens Park. Their shirt colour is dark blue. Dundee currently play in the Scottish First Division, having been relegated from...
	2nd	Abdullah Al-Shehan	Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...	Al-Shabab
	3rd	Li Tie Li Tie Li Tie is a professional Chinese international footballer who currently plays for Liaoning Whowin F.C. in the Chinese Super League. Starting his career playing for Liaoning F.C. Li would rise to prominence during the 1999 Chinese league season when Liaoning came runners-up within the league...	China China Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...	Liaoning
2002	1st	Shinji Ono Shinji Ono is a Japanese football player, who plays as a midfielder for Shimizu S-Pulse in Japan.Known as Tensai, Japanese for "Genius", from his youth days, Ono is one of the biggest stars in Asian football, known for his vision, technique and superb passing...	Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...	Feyenoord
	2nd	Junichi Inamoto Junichi Inamoto is a Japanese footballer who plays as a midfielder for Kawasaki Frontale.-Playing career:Inamoto played for Japanese club Gamba Osaka during his last year of high school, signing with the club in 1998. He was then one of many high profile transfers of Asian players to Europe, signing with Arsenal...	Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...	Fulham Fulham F.C. Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
	3rd	Ahn Jung-Hwan Ahn Jung-Hwan Ahn Jung-Hwan is a South Korean football player. He made world headlines by scoring the winning golden goal for South Korea against Italy in the 2002 World Cup second round, sending South Korea into the quarterfinals.-Football career:After starting his professional career with K-League's Busan...	South Korea South Korea The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...	Perugia Perugia Calcio Associazione Calcistica Perugia Calcio is an Italian association football club based in Perugia, Umbria, direct heir of the old Perugia Calcio and A.C. Perugia, excluded from Italian football because of financial troubles....
2003	1st	Mehdi Mahdavikia Mehdi Mahdavikia Mehdi Mahdavikia is an Iranian football player who plays for Damash Gilan in the Iranian Pro League. He has won Asian Young Footballer of the Year award in 1997, as well as Asian Footballer of the Year in 2003. He was the captain of the Iran national football team from 2006 to 2009, and currently...	Iran Iran Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...	HSV Hamburger SV Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department...
	2nd	Therdsak Chaiman Therdsak Chaiman Therdsak Chaiman is a Thai footballer who plays for Chonburi. Therdsak is a free kick specialist and can shoot with both feet.-Club career:Therdsak is regarded as one of Southeast Asia's finest footballers....	Thailand Thailand Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...	BEC Tero Sasana
	3rd	Maxim Shatskikh	Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....	Dinamo Kiev
2004	1st	Ali Karimi Ali Karimi Mohammad Ali Karimi Pashaki better known as Ali Karimi, is an Iranian professional footballer who is currently playing for Persepolis in Iran Pro League. He was awarded the Asian Footballer of the Year in 2004....	Iran Iran Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...	Al-Ahli
	2nd	A'ala Hubail A'ala Hubail On 5 April 2011 A'ala Hubail and his brother Mohamed were arrested by the Bahraini authorities and held in custody on an indefinite basis. A'ala Hubail, a trained paramedic, had attended demonstrations during the 2011 Bahraini protests and had reportedly helped provide medical assistance...	Bahrain Bahrain ' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...	Al-Ahli
	3rd	Shunsuke Nakamura Shunsuke Nakamura is a Japanese footballer who currently plays for Yokohama F. Marinos in J. League Division 1. He is one of the most prominent and successful Asian players to have played in Scotland and on 13 September 2006 became the first Japanese player to score in the UEFA Champions League and the second Asian...	Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...	Reggina
2005	1st	Hamad Al-Montashari Hamad Al-Montashari Hamad Al-Montashari is a Saudi Arabian footballer for Al-Ittihad. Al-Montashari, a defender, was declared the 2005 Asian Football Player of the Year, defeating Uzbekistan and FC Dynamo Kyiv striker Maksim Shatskikh. With Al-Ittihad, Al-Montashari has won the 2004 and 2005 AFC Champions...	Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...	Al-Ittihad
	2nd	Sami Al Jaber	Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...	Alhilal AlHilal Al-Hilal Club of Omdurman is a Sudanese football club founded on February 13, 1930 in the city of Omdurman. The team has been crowned champion of the Sudan Premier League in six of the past seven seasons, and throughout its history has won the championship 26 times during the league's 45 seasons...
	3rd	Maxim Shatskikh	Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....	Dinamo Kiev
2006	1st	Khalfan Ibrahim Khalfan Ibrahim Khalfan Ibrahim Khalfan Al Khalfan is a Qatari footballer who plays as a striker for Al Sadd. He is also a member of the Qatar national team. He was named the Asian Player of the Year in 2006, becoming the first Qatari to win the title. He played for Al-Arabi on the youth level before moving to Al...	Qatar Qatar Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...	Al-Sadd Al-Sadd Sadd Sports Club known as Al-Sadd Club is a Qatari sports club, best known for its football team of the Qatar National First Division, from the city of Doha. The club goes with the Nickname "Al-Zaeem", which translates to "The Boss", and was founded by four students on the October 21, 1969 in...
	2nd	Bader Al-Mutwa	Kuwait Kuwait The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...	Al Qadisiya Al Qadisiya Kuwait Qadsia Sporting Club was founded in the State of Kuwait on 20 October 1960. Qadsia was first called Al Jzzira club. Based in Kuwait City Qadsia Club is one of the most popular clubs in Kuwait and were voted the best team in Kuwait of 2007–2008...
	3rd	Mohammad Al-Shalhoub Mohammad Al-Shalhoub Mohammad Bander Al-Shalhoub is a Saudi Arabian football player who currently plays as a Left-winger for Al Hilal.He has been a member of the Saudi Arabian national team since 2000 when he was just nineteen years of age, and was recently called up to the squad to participate in the 2006 FIFA World...	Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...	Al-Hilal Al-Hilal Al-Hilal Saudi Football Club , also known simply as Al-Hilal, is a Saudi Arabian sports club based in the country's capital of Riyadh and best known for its professional football team, known as Al-Hilal Saudi Football Club...
2007	1st	Yasser Al-Qahtani Yasser Al-Qahtani Yasser Saeed Al-Qahtani is a Saudi Arabian footballer who plays as a striker currently on loan with U.A.E. Al-Ain FC captains of the Saudi Arabian national team....	Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...	Al-Hilal Al-Hilal Al-Hilal Saudi Football Club , also known simply as Al-Hilal, is a Saudi Arabian sports club based in the country's capital of Riyadh and best known for its professional football team, known as Al-Hilal Saudi Football Club...
	2nd	Younis Mahmoud Younis Mahmoud Younis Mahmoud Khalef is an Iraqi football striker who currently playes for Al-Wakrah. He was recently removed from his previous club, Al-Gharafa in Qatar despite being the top goal scorer in the league for the third time in five years. He is also the captain of the Iraq national football team...	Iraq Iraq Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....	Al-Gharafa
	3rd	Nashat Akram Nashat Akram Nashat Akram Abid Ali is an Iraqi professional footballer who is currently playing for Lekhwiya. He is an Iraqi international. He usually plays as a midfielder. Akram is one of Iraq's promising young prospects, and has been linked with Manchester City and Sunderland...	Iraq Iraq Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....	Al-Ain Al Ain FC Al-Ain Sports and Cultural Club is a professional association football and mult-sports club based in the city of Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates. The football section of Al Ain won the 2003 AFC Champions League competition with a 2-1 aggregate victory over BEC Tero Sasana of Thailand.Al Ain...
2008	1st	Server Djeparov Server Djeparov Server Djeparov is an Uzbekistani professional football midfielder who currently plays for Al-Shabab. He has won the Asian Footballer of the Year awards twice, first in 2008 and the other in 2011.-Early life:He was born on 3 October 1982 in Chirchiq, Uzbek SSR...	Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....	Bunyodkor FC Bunyodkor FC Bunyodkor is an Uzbek football club based in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.The club finished second in the 2007 Uzbek League season and made the semi-finals of the 2008 AFC Champions League...
	2nd	Ismael Matar Ismail Matar Ismail Matar Ibrahim Khamis Al Mukhaini Al Junaibi , is an Emirati footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or forward for Al Wahda and the UAE national team....	UAE	Al-Wahda
	3rd	Sebastián Soria Sebastián Soria Andrés Sebastián Soria Quintana , is a naturalized Qatari footballer who plays as a striker for Qatar SC.-Early career:Soria originally had a 2-week trial at Uruguayan club Defensor Sporting in Montevideo as a youngster, however they subsequently rejected Soria, and he returned home.Soria continued...	Qatar Qatar Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...	Qatar SC
2009	1st	Yasuhito Endō Yasuhito Endo is a Japanese footballer, who currently plays for the J. League team Gamba Osaka. His older brother Akihiro, who retired in 2008, was also a professional footballer.-Career:...	Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...	Gamba Osaka Gamba Osaka is a Japanese professional association football club, currently playing in the J. League Division 1. The team's name comes from the Italian word "gamba" meaning "leg" and the Japanese , meaning "to do your best" or "to stand firm". Located in Suita, Osaka, the team's home stadium is Osaka Expo '70...	120
	2nd	Sayed Adnan Sayed Mohamed Adnan Sayed Mohamed Adnan is a Bahrani footballer currently playing for the Brisbane Roar in A-League. He is known for joining up in attacks during open play to help score using his height advantage.-Club career:...	Bahrain Bahrain ' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...	Al-Khor	100
	2nd	Kengo Nakamura Kengo Nakamura is a Japanese football midfielder who currently plays for Kawasaki Frontale of the J. League.-Playing style:K.Nakamura is a playmaking midfielder usually employed by Kawasaki Frontale on the central midfield. His view can supply pass very widely over the wide range.Besides passing, Nakamura is...	Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...	Kawasaki Frontale Kawasaki Frontale is a J. League Division 1 association football club. The team is located in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo. Their home stadium is Todoroki Athletics Stadium, in Nakahara Ward, in the central area of Kawasaki.-History:...	100
2010	1st	Saša Ognenovski Sasa Ognenovski Saša Ognenovski is an Australian football player who currently plays as a central defender for Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma and the Australia national team. Since moving to South Korea, Ognenovski's success has rapidly risen. In 2010, he was named Asian Footballer of the Year, won a position in the...	Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...	Seongnam Ilhwa Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma is a South Korean professional football club, based in Seongnam, South Korea, that plays in the K-League...	102
	2nd	Farhad Majidi Farhad Majidi Farhad Majidi is an Iranian football striker who currently plays for Esteghlal in Iran's Premier Football League. He was also a member of Iran national football team.- Club career :...	Iran Iran Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...	Esteghlal	90
	3rd	Bader Al-Mutwa	Kuwait Kuwait The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...	Qadsia SC	87
2011 2011 AFC Annual Awards The 2011 AFC Annual Awards was the the top football players and coaches of the year in Asia.Among six candidates, Server Djeparov win the Asian Footballer of the Year award for the second time....	1st	Server Djeparov Server Djeparov Server Djeparov is an Uzbekistani professional football midfielder who currently plays for Al-Shabab. He has won the Asian Footballer of the Year awards twice, first in 2008 and the other in 2011.-Early life:He was born on 3 October 1982 in Chirchiq, Uzbek SSR...	Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....	Al-Shabab	100
	2nd	Hadi Aghily	Iran Iran Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...	Al-Arabi	95
	3rd	Keisuke Honda Keisuke Honda is a Japanese footballer who currently plays for Russian CSKA Moscow and the Japan national football team. His current position is as a deep-lying playmaker, but he can equally play as an attacking midfielder or second striker. He is also a very skilled free kick taker scoring one in the FIFA World...	Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...	CSKA Moscow	87

Wins By Country

Nation	Winners	Runners-up	Third places
	6	3	5
	4	4	4
	4	2	1
	3	1	2
	2	0	2
	1	1	2
	1	1	1
	1	0	1
	1	0	0