Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Qatar’s prolific striker Akram Afif has been shortlisted for the prestigious AFC Player of the Year award, alongside Jordan's Yazan Al Naimat and South Korea's Seol Young-woo. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) revealed the much-anticipated list of nominees on its website, setting the stage for the AFC Annual Awards Seoul 2023, which will take place on October 29 at the magnificent Grand Peace Palace of Kyung Hee University. The awards, which highlight Asia's finest football talents, will feature the coveted AFC Player of the Year and AFC Women’s Player of the Year accolades. In the women's category, Cortnee Vine, Kiko Seike, and Kim Hye-ri are the top contenders. Afif’s nomination follows his extraordinary performances during the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023, where he led Qatar to retain their title on home soil. The dynamic forward made history as the first player to score a hat-trick in a final, finishing the tournament with eight goals and three assists, earning both the Most Valuable Player and Top Scorer titles. At the club level, Afif's brilliance continued as he played a key role in Al Sadd SC’s record 17th Qatar Stars League title, contributing 26 goals and 11 assists in just 22 matches. If successful, this would mark Afif’s second AFC Player of the Year award, having previously won the honor in 2019.