KUALA LUMPUR: National and Johor Darul Ta’zim winger Arif Aiman Mohd Hanapi missed out on the AFC Player of the Year award to Saudi Arabia’s Salem Al-Dawsari.
His nomination alone marked a historic achievement for Malaysian football.
Arif Aiman became the first Malaysian player ever nominated for the prestigious Asian Football Confederation award.
He was shortlisted alongside Saudi Arabia’s Salem Al-Dawsari and Qatari superstar Akram Afiff.
The 23-year-old scored five goals last season to help JDT reach the AFC Champions League Elite round of 16.
He also guided the Southern Tigers to a clean sweep of all four M-League trophies for three consecutive seasons.
Arif Aiman remains a key component of the Harimau Malaya squad in ongoing Asian Cup Qualifiers.
The Football Association of Malaysia also won the AFC President’s Recognition Award for Grassroots Football Silver Category.
FAM honorary president Tan Sri Hamidin Mohd Amin received the award during the ceremony in Riyadh. – Bernama
