S. Korean Park among top Asian player nominees

Manchester United's South Korea international Park Ji-sung was among 10 nominees named by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) yesterday for the 2005 Asian player of the year award. Bolton Wanderers midfielder Hidetoshi Nakata was also nominated...

Manchester United's South Korea international Park Ji-sung was among 10 nominees named by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) yesterday for the 2005 Asian player of the year award.

Bolton Wanderers midfielder Hidetoshi Nakata was also nominated along with Japan team-mate Shunsuke Nakamura and Saudi trio Sami Al Jaber, Hamad Al Montashari and Mabrouk Zayed.

Bayern Munich's Iranian midfielder Ali Karimi, who won the award last year, and Tottenham Hotspur's South Korea international Lee Young-pyo were also named.

The 10-man list will be trimmed to three finalists on November 14 with the winner to be announced at the AFC player of the year awards ceremony to be held in Kuala Lumpur on November 30.

List of Nominees

¤ Sami Al Jaber (Saudi Arabia - Al Hilal, Saudi Arabia).

¤ Hamad Al Montashari (Saudi Arabia - Al Ittihad, Saudi Arabia).

¤ Ali Karimi (Iran - Bayern Munich, Germany).

¤ Lee Young-pyo (South Korea - Tottenham Hotspur, England).

¤ Shunsuke Nakamura (Japan - Celtic, Scotland)

¤ Hidetoshi Nakata (Japan - Bolton Wanderers, England)

¤ Javad Nekounam (Iran - Pas, Iran)

¤ Park Ji-sung (South Korea - Manchester United, England)

¤ Maksim Shatskikh (Uzbekistan - Dynamo Kiev, Ukraine)

¤ Mabrouk Zayed (Saudi Arabia - Al Ittihad, Saudi Arabia)

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