UAE's Mattar adds name to honours list

Dubai: The UAE's national team striker Esmail Mattar is the newest addition to the Asian Football Confederation Player of the Year contenders list.

Saudi Arabia's Yasser Al Qah'tani is the reigning AFC Player of the Year, and has managed to keep his name for a likely second title following his country's 2-0 win against Singapore last week.

Others keeping their place in the list are Australian goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer and Yuji Nakazawa of Japan.

According to the latest list released by the AFC from Kuala Lumpur yesterday, Mattar has been joined by DPR Korea's Hong Yong-Jo and Uzbekistan's Odil Ahmedov.

Upcoming awards

The AFC Player of the Year will be announced in Shanghai at an awards gala on November 25.

The latest list of the AFC Player of the Year contenders was released after last week's third round qualifiers for the 2010 Fifa World Cup.

Competition

AFC Player of the Year contenders list:

1. Ahmad Ajab (Kuwait and Al Qadsia, Kuwait); 2. Ala'a Hubail (Bahrain and Kuwait SC, Kuwait); 3. Ali Al Habsi (Oman and Bolton Wanderers, England); 4. Ebrahim Sadeghi (Iran and Saipa, Iran); 5. Hong Yong-jo (DPR Korea and FK Bezanija, Serbia); 6. Esmail Mattar (UAE and Al Wahda, UAE); 7. Odil Ahmedov (Uzbekistan and Pakhtakor, Uzbekistan); 8. Mark Schwarzer (Australia and Fulham, England); 9. Rashid Saleem (Bahrain and Al Najma, Bahrain); 10. Server Djeparov (Uzbekistan and Kuruvchi, Uzbekistan); 11. Yasser Al Qah'tani (Saudi Arabia and Al Hilal, Saudi Arabia); 12. Yuji Nakazawa (Japan and Yokohama F Marinos, Japan).