Nov 15, 2019, 6:13 PM

Beiranvand shortlisted for AFC Player of the Year 2019

TEHRAN, Nov. 15 (MNA) – Team Melli and Persepolis goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand has been shortlisted for the AFC’s Player of the Year in the men’s category.

“Safarbeiranvand is famously known for saving Cristiano Ronaldo’s penalty at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia and he repeated the feat against Oman in the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 to lead IR Iran to the semi-finals. He has been an inspirational figure in goal for both club and country but outside the pitch, he remains a strong advocate for social responsibility,” AFC wrote for describing the Iranian goalie.

AFC Annual Awards will be held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on December 2.

Beiranvand is not the sole Iranian nominee in the upcoming annual awards. Sardar Azmoun (Asian International Player of the Year), Katayoun Khosrowyar (Women Coach of the Year), Mahdi Javid (AFC Futsal Player of the Year), and the Iranian Football Federation (AFC Member Association of the Year) have also been shortlisted in the mentioned sections.

According to the AFC website, the star-studded cast of nominees (in alphabetical order of MA) for the AFC Annual Awards Hong Kong 2019 are:

AFC Player of the Year (Men)

Ali Reza Safarbeiranvand (Persepolis F.C. and IRN)

Tomoaki Makino (Urawa Red Diamonds and JPN)

Akram Hassan Afif (Al Saad and QAT)

AFC Player of the Year (Women)

Li Ying (Guangdong Huijun FC and CHN)

Ashalata Devi Loitongbam (Sethu FC and IND)

Saki Kumagai (Olympique Lyonnais and JPN)

AFC Asian International Player of the Year

Sardar Azmoun (IRN)

Makoto Hasebe (JPN)