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AFP - Iraqi midfielder Nashat
Akram has been added to an updated list of contenders for the Asian Player
of the Year award, the continent's football governing body said Sunday.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) unveiled an updated list of seven
nominees for the award, to be presented in Sydney this month.
Akram, 23, is joined by Iranian's Javad Nekounam and Mohamad Salehi Mehdi
on the list, which was revised after the first leg of the AFC Champions
League final on November 7.
The trio join Iraq's victorious Asian Cup 2007 captain Younis Mahmoud, Saudi
Arabian striker Yasser Al Qahtani and Japanese Yasuhito Endo and Shinji Ono,
who retained their places on the updated nominees list.
South Korean goalkeeper Lee Woon-Jae was removed from the nominees this
month following his suspension by the country's football association over a
late-night drinking spree during the 2007 Asian Cup.
The AFC said that three Japanese players -- Yasuhito Morishima, Tsukasa
Umesaki and Yoichiro Kakitani -- are among four candidates for Youth Player
of the Year, along with North Korea's Kim Kum-il.
Iraq, Saudi Arabia and South Korea are contenders for National Team of the
Year at the awards, to be handed out at a November 28 ceremony.
Asian Champions League finalists Urawa Reds from Japan and Sepahan from
Iran are in the running for Club Team of the Year, along with Seongnam
Ilhwa Chunma from South Korea and Al Wahda from the United Arab Emirates.
Former Iranian coach Amir Ghalenoiee, Hak Bum Kim from Seonganam
Ilhwa Chunma and Rauf Inileev of the Uzbek national team have been nominated
for Coach of the Year.
China, Japan and Vietnam are nominees for National Association of the Year,
while 10 countries -- Australia, Iraq, Iran, Japan, Jordan, South
Korea, Lebanon, Thailand, Uzbekistan and Vietnam are vying for Fair Play
Association of the Year.
The AFC also announced the list of 10 nominees for Referee of the Year and
Assistant Referee of the Year.
In Futsal -- indoor five-aside football -- Japan's Kenichiro Kogure, who won
the Player of the Year award last year, is once again on the list, along
with Iranian trio Vahid Shamsaee, Kazem Mohamadi and Mohamadreza
Heidarian, and Abdulla Buriev from Uzbekistan.
Iran, who won the Asian Futsal Championship for the eighth time this
year, have been nominated with Japan and Uzbekistan for Futsal Team of the
Year.
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