KUALA LUMPUR: Iran’s Javad Nekonam, who is leading them back to the World Cup finals in Brazil next year, heads the list of nominees for the annual awards by the African Football Confederation.

Competing with the Esteghlal star are China’s Zheng Zhi, the captain of Champions League winners Guangzhou Evergrande, plus South Korea’s Ha Dae Sung from Champions League runners-up FC Seoul.

Guangzhou Evergrande’s Brazilian import Luiz Guilherme Da Conceicao (Muriqui), who won the AFC Champions League’s Most Valuable Player and Top Goalscorer awards, will be vying with his teammate Dario Leonardo Conca (Argentina) and FC Seoul’s Motenegro ace Dejan Damjanovic for the AFC Foreign Player of the Year award.

Yuto Nagatomo (Japan; Inter Milan), Son Heung-min (Korea Republic; Bayer Leverkusen) and Keisuke Honda (Japan; CSKA Moscow) are in the fray for the Asian International Player of the Year honour.

The awards are being presented on November 26, 2013, at the Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur.

Nominees

*AFC Player of the Year 2013

(in alphabetical order)

Ha Dae Sung (Korea Republic and FC Seoul)

Javad Nekonam (Iran and Esteghlal)

Zheng Zhi (China and Guangzhou Evergrande)

*Asian International Player of the Year 2013

(in alphabetical order)

Keisuke Honda (Japan; CSKA Moscow)

Son Heung-min (Korea Republic; Bayer Leverkusen)

Yuto Nagatomo (Japan; Inter Milan)

*AFC Foreign Player of the Year 2013

(in alphabetical order)

Dario Leonardo Conca (Guangzhou Evergrande; Argentina)

Dejan Damjanovic (FC Seoul; Montenegro)

Luiz Guilherme Da Conceicao Silva (Guangzhou Evergrande; Brazil)

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