'Son Heung-min Era Ends'' Asian Ballon d'Or 8th consecutive defeat'亞 Cup Winner'Affe wins for the first time'

Oct 21, 2024

The 2023 Asian Football Confederation Qatar Asian Cup semifinal match between South Korea and Jordan at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Alaiyan, Qatar on the 6th (local time). South Korea's Son Heung-min is disappointed after losing the game. Alaiyan (Qatar) = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2023.02.06/

Qatar striker Akram Afif has been selected as the Asian Player of the Year by Titanzhoubao, Hong Kong media 'South China Morning Post' reported on the 21st. It is the first time in eight years that Son Heung-min has not won the Asia Ballon d'Or. REUTERS Yonhap News

'Son National'Son National' Son Heung-min (Tottenham) failed to win the Asian Ballon d'Or'8th consecutive time.

Hong Kong media 'South China Morning Post (SCMP)' said on the 21st (Korea time) that Son Heung-min of South Korea is no longer Asia's best soccer player. Football pundits handed the throne to Akram Afif' in an article under the title, which revealed the results of the 2024 Titan Zubao (Taitan Sports) Asian Player of the Year selection.

Son finished second in the Asian Player of the Year vote, which was picked by Titanzhou Bao in a vote of 63 Asian football experts, behind Afif, who won 16.8 percent to 18 percent, according to SCMP. 16.8 percent is the lowest number of votes since 2015, when it topped the list with 16.3 percent.

Al Ain's Supyane Rahimi, who led the team to the Asian Champions League title in the 2023-2024 season, took the last place in the podium with 11.4%.

Cristiano Ronaldo (Alnasr) and Aleksandar Mitrovic (Al Hilal) ranked fourth and fifth, respectively.

Chinese media group Titanzhou Bao was inspired by the Ballon d'Or awarded by French football magazine France Football and established the 'Asian Ballon d'Or' in 2013 to select the best player in Asia. The best player at the Asian Games will be selected and awarded.

Son Heung-min was named Titanzhoubao Player of the Year in 2023. Tottenham Instagram

ReutersYonhap News

Son Heung-min, one of Asia's most recognizable stars, has effectively monopolized the `Asian Ballon d'Or' to live up to his reputation. He has been honored with awards nine times in the past 11 ceremonies, seven years in a row from 2017 to last year. Last year, he beat Ronaldo in the 'idol'.

However, this year, when the Asian Cup was held, the trophy was handed over to Afif. Afif spearheaded Qatar's victory at the 2023 Asian Cup held in his country as a member of the Qatar national team in February. He scored a hat trick against Jordan, who beat South Korea in the semifinals to reach the final, leading the team to a 3-1 victory. He became the top scorer with eight goals at the Asian Cup.

In addition, he scored 26 goals in the Qatar Stars League in the 2023-2024 season as a member of Al Saad, leading Al Saad to victory.

Son Heung-min showed off his strong performance by exploding 17 goals and 10 assists in 35 English Premier League games in the 2023-2024 season, but failed to tie the trophy with the national team and his team.

Asian experts are believed to have given a more generous score to winning the Asian Cup. Titanzhou Bao awards based on performance from January 1 to August 15 this year.

A match between South Korea and Australia in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Asian Football Confederation Qatar Asian Cup at Alwakra Al-Zanub Stadium in Qatar on the 2nd (local time). Coach Klinsmann is cheering as Son Heung-min scored an upset goal with an extended free kick. Alwakra (Qatar) = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com/2023.02.02/

If South Korea, led by former national team Jürgen Klinsmann, won the Asian Cup, it means that the main character of this year's Asian Ballon d'Or is likely to be Son Heung-min. In the Chu Chun-je league, playing in the second half rather than the first half is advantageous for the Asian Ballon d'Or.

Besides Son Heung-min, Afif is the third player to win after Keisuke Honda (then CSKA Moscow) in 2013 and Shinji Okazaki (then Leicester City) in 2016. Afif is the first winner from West Asia.

Afif was also named the three finalists for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Player of the Year. It will compete with South Korea's flagship fullback Seol Young-woo (Trvena Zvezda) and Jordanian striker Yazan Al-Naimat (Al-Araibi).

yoonjinman@sportschosun.com