news
Matildas star Ellie Carpenter has been named the inaugural Asian Football Confederation’s women’s international player of the year, with teammate Cortnee Vine finishing second in the player of the year vote.
Carpenter took out the award after overcoming an ACL injury, before playing a crucial role in helping lead the Matildas to the semifinals of the World Cup and playing at her third consecutive Olympics.
Vine — who was the hero in Australia’s penalty shootout with France at the World Cup — finished behind Japan’s Kiki Seike for the player of the year award.
Seike succeeded Matildas star Sam Kerr for the award, and is the fifth Japanese player to claim the title after Homare Sawa, Saki Kumagai, Natsuko Hara and three-times winner Aya Miyama.
Cortnee Vine came second in the women’s player of the year vote.
(Getty Images: Elsa/FIFA)
The striker’s form was key to Urawa Red Diamonds’ title win in the Asian Women’s Club Championship in 2023 as well as helping her club secure a second consecutive Japanese domestic league title before signing for Brighton & Hove Albion in July.
“I’m very happy to receive this prestigious award,” Seike said via video message.
“I will continue to do my best for my club, the national team and to raise the value of Asian football.”
Qatar’s Akram Afif was named the men’s player of the year for the second time.
Afif, who had previously won the award in 2019, was presented with the trophy after his performances had been instrumental in Qatar’s successful defence of their Asian Cup title on home soil earlier in the year.
ABC/Reuters
