(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Qatar's star player Khalfan Ibrahim has been nominated for the 2014 AFC Player of the Year and if chosen, the seasoned player will win the title for the second time in his career.
Al Hilal's striker Nassir Al Shamrani and Al Ain's ace player Ismail Ahmed are the other two nominees for the coveted award.
Ibrahim is the only player among the trio who has won the same award in the past.
The 2006 AFC Player of The Year was again in imperious form in this season's ACL, with the Qatar international putting in a series of dazzling shows on Asian club football's biggest stage as Al Sadd made it to the last eight.
He also scored the winning goal when Qatar stunned the visiting Australia team in a friendly in Doha last month. On the other hand, top scorer or joint-top scorer in five of the past seven seasons in Saudi Arabia's top flight, Al Shamrani displayed his prolific talent to a wider audience as the fiery forward lit up this year's AFC Champions League.
Al Shamrani scored ten goals for the Saudi outfit which saw them finish runners-up in this season's competition.
An ever-present at the heart of a backline, Ismail Ahmed provided security for Al Ain's dynamic attack as they reached the semi-final stage of Asia's premier club competition.
Ahmed will be hoping that his classy and composed performances will see him become the first player from the United Arab Emirates to claim Asian football's most prestigious individual accolade. The AFC Annual Awards will be held in Manila, Philippines, on November 30 in conjunction with the AFC's 60th anniversary celebrations.
Meanwhile, two-time winner Japan's Aya Miyama, Australian Katrina Gorry and Nahomi Kawasumi (Japan) have been nominated for the 2014 AFC Women's Player of the Year award.
Miyama, who won this accolade in 2011 and 2012, helped Japan win the AFC Women's Asian Cup and was named Most Valuable Player of competition. Gorry's performance in the top football women's competition of the continent helped her team finish runners-up.
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