Sadeghi nominated for AFC player of the year

MNA - Ebrahim Sadeghi of Iran has been nominated for the 2008 Asian footballer of the year award.
Ebrahim Sadeghi, as the sole Iranian player in the 21-player list, is a member of Iran’s national team in the 2010 World Cup Qualifiers.

Sadeghi will captain Saipa in the AFC Champions League against Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya of Iraq on Wednesday.

The best player of the year 2008 will be named at the awards gala on November 25 in Shanghai.

Past winners are as follow:

Saeed Al-Owairan (1994; Saudi Arabia), Masami Ihara(1995; Japan), Khodad Azizi (Iran; 1996), Hidetoshi Nakata (1997; Japan), Ali Daei (Iran; 1999), Fan Xehi (2000; China), Shinji Ono (Japan; 2002),Mehdi Mahdavikia(Iran; 2003), Ali Karimi (Iran; 2004) and of late Hamad Al Montashari (Saudi Arabia; 2005), Khalfan Ibrahim (Qatar; 2006) and Yasser Al Qahtani (Saudi Arabia; 2007).

List of contenders in alphabetical order:

1. Ala’a Hubail (Bahrain and Al Kuwait – Kuwait)

2. Ahmad Ajab (Kuwait and Al Qadsiya – Kuwait)

3. Aleksandar Duric (Singapore and Singapore Armed Forces FC – Singapore)

4. Ebrahim Sadeghi (Iran and Saipa – Iran)

5. Fabio Cesar (Qatar and Umm Salal – Qatar)

6. Hawar Mullah Mohamed (Iraq and Al Khor – Qatar)

7. Indra Sahdan Daud (Singapore and Home United – Singapore)

8. Ki-hyeon Seol (Korea Republic and Fulham – England)

9. Mark Bresciano (Australia and Palermo – Italy)

10. Mark Schwarzer (Australia and Middlesbrough – England)

11. Mohamad Alhamwi (Syria and Al Karama – Syria)

12. Mohammad Shahril Ishak (Singapore and Home United – Singapore)

13. Mosab Balhous (Syria and Al Karama – Syria)

14. Rashid Saleem (Bahrain and Al Najma – Bahrain)

15. Salih Sader (Iraq and Al Ansar – Lebanon)

16. Mohamed Salmeen (Bahrain and Al Muharraq – Bahrain)

17. Timur Kapadze (Uzbekistan and Kuruvchi – Uzbekistan)

18. Ulugbek Bakaev (Uzbekistan and Kuruvchi – Uzbekistan)

19. Yong-jo Hong (DPRK and FK Bezanija – Serbia)

20. Young-pyo Lee (Korea Republic and Tottenham Hotspur – England)

21. Yuji Nakazawa (Japan and Yokohama F Marinos – Japan)