Malaysian football star in top 3 nominees for AFC Player of the Year

By Hieu Luong September 28, 2025 | 04:23 pm PT

Arif Aiman has made history as the first player from Malaysia to be among the top three nominees for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Player of the Year award.

Aiman joins Qatar’s midfielder Akram Afif and Saudi Arabian striker Salem Al Dawsari in the final shortlist. This marks only the second time a Southeast Asian player has reached the top three, following Thai legend Therdsak Chaiman in 2003.

The AFC praised Aiman for his outstanding 2024-2025 season. He scored five goals to help Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) reach the round of 16 in the AFC Champions League Elite and won the domestic quadruple for the third consecutive year, including the Super Cup, Malaysia Super League, Malaysia Cup and FA Cup. He also secured the FAM Player of the Year award for the fourth straight year, following 2021, 2022 and 2023, according to Bernama.

Arif Aiman (number 12) celebrates during Malaysia's 4-0 win over Vietnam in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, at Bukit Jalil Stadium, Malaysia on June 10, 2025. Photo by Malaysia NT

At the national team level, Aiman remains one of the few native players who consistently start under coach Peter Cklamovski, amid a wave of naturalized players. He provided two assists in Malaysia’s 4-0 victory over Vietnam in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.

Born in 2002, Aiman rose through the JDT youth academy and debuted for the first team in 2020. The winger has scored 52 goals in 153 appearances for the club to date.

Qatar star Akram Afif, 28, could become the first player to win the award three times, having previously won in 2019 and 2023, the South China Morning Post reported. He helped Al Sadd win the national championship and reach the quarterfinals of the ACL Elite this season, while also contributing to Qatar’s qualification for the 2027 Asian Cup and the fourth qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup.

The remaining name on the list is Salem Al Dawsari, 34, who is regarded as a Saudi football legend and remembered for scoring against Argentina in the 2022 World Cup group stage. In 2025, he scored 10 goals to guide Al Hilal to the ACL Elite semifinals and contributed to their quarterfinal run in the FIFA Club World Cup. He previously won the award in 2022.

The AFC Player of the Year award was first presented in 1994 to Saudi Arabia’s Saeed Owairan and, since 2006, has recognized the best Asian player competing for an AFC club. Previous winners include Hidetoshi Nakata, Server Djeparov, Ali Daei, Ali Karimi and more recently Afif and Al Dawsari.

The AFC Awards ceremony will take place on Oct. 16 in Saudi Arabia, marking the 29th edition, with 20 categories.

Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) is nominated for the Diamond Member Association of the Year, alongside China and Thailand, and for the Bronze Community Football with Bangladesh and the Northern Mariana Islands.