AFC has announced the list of ten nominees who will be vying for
the AFC Women's Player of the Year award.
All the contenders are from the powerhouses of Asia with three
players each from Japan and Australia and two each from DPR Korea
and China. Three Asian teams – China, Australia and DPR Korea -
reached the quarterfinals of the FIFA Women's World Cup recently
and the list reflects the strong performance of the players in the
tournament.
The new inclusions in the list are playmaker Colette McCallum,
defender duo Heather Garriock and Cheryl Salisbury (all Australia),
last year's winner and the youngest nominee at 19 years of age, Ma
Xiaoxu, and Xie Caixia from China, Ri Un Suk from DPR Korea and the
only goalkeeper nominee Miho Fukumoto from Japan.
Shinobu Ohno and Homare Sawa from Japan and Ri Kum Suk from DPR
Korea are still in the list after the latest update since September
after a good performance in the FIFA Women's World Cup.
The AFC Women's Player of the Year award will go to the most
outstanding women's player who has performed consistently at AFC
and/or FIFA competitions and this year's winner will be announced
at the inaugural AFC Women's Awards which will take place on
November 6 in Kuala Lumpur .
AFC will become FIFA's first confederation to launch the a
Women's Annual Awards to recognize and honor women football
players.
The final three contenders for the prestigious award will be
announced later this month.
AFC Women's Player of the Year Nominees (in alphabetical
order)
- FUKUMOTO Miho ( Japan )
- GARRIOCK Heather ( Australia )
- MA Xiaoxu ( China PR)
- MCCALLUM Collette ( Australia )
- OHNO Shinobu ( Japan )
- RI Kum Suk (DPR Korea )
- RI Un Suk (DPR Korea )
- SALISBURY Cheryl ( Australia )
- SAWA Homare ( Japan )
- XIE Caixia ( China PR)
(CRI via the-afc.com October 2, 2007)