Is it time to consider Europe’s Asian stars for AFC Player of Year award?

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It was the worst possible timing as Asian football honoured its outstanding achievers for 2014.

Just hours before Nasser Al-Shamrani was named AFC Player of the Year earlier this week, the news leaked that the Saudi Arabian striker would be banned for eight matches for spitting and head-butting in last month’s AFC Champions League final.

The 31-year-old was caught on camera spitting at Western Sydney Wanderers defender Matthew Spiranovic after his Al Hilal side lost 1-0 to the A-League outfit on Nov 1. He later explained that he’d reacted angrily after being insulted by the Socceroo centre back, sparking a distasteful melee at the King Fahd Stadium in Riyadh.

Al-Shamrani was unrepentant in the buildup to the AFC Annual Awards in Manila and his attitude hadn’t changed when quizzed by reporters as he showed off his trophy on Sunday night.

“I’m living for today, I’m not thinking about anything else,” he said. “I’m proud I’m the best men’s player of the year – anything else, please talk to AFC.”

Ironically, Al-Shamrani shared the spotlight with the same opponents who infuriated him. Western Sydney Wanderers were named AFC Club of the Year and their manager Tony Popovic was Men’s Coach of the Year.

Popovic and Wanderers CEO John Tsatsimas even posed for a group picture on stage with the other 2014 winners, including bad boy Al-Shamrani.

Just like Zinedine Zidane who won the Golden Ball award at the 2006 World Cup despite headbutting Marco Materazzi in the final against Italy, Al-Shamrani was honoured even though his actions detracted
from an absorbing AFC Champions League season.

One could argue that these aren’t best and fairest awards – and that the lively Al-Shamrani was the standout nominee after his 10 goals in the AFC Champions League. The other finalists were Al Ain defender Ismail Ahmed and Al Sadd winger Khalfan Ibrahim.

But, conduct aside, was Al Shamrani – who’s never played outside of Saudi Arabia during his 14-year professional career – really the best Asian player over the past 12 months?

The more significant issue relates to those who are eligible in the first place.

It’s not a new debate, but surely now is the time to open up the AFC Player of the Year award to Asian footballers anywhere in the world rather than restricting it to those plying their trade in regional competitions.

Aren’t the likes of Shinji Okazaki, Japanese star striker for Bundesliga outfit FSV Mainz, Ki Sung-yeung, the influential Korean midfielder with English Premier League side Swansea City, and Crystal Palace and Australia captain Mile Jedinak more deserving of recognition than Al-Shamrani?

To their credit, the AFC did introduce the Asian International Player of the Year award in 2012 to recognise those performing well in Europe’s big leagues. Jedinak was bestowed with the gong on Sunday after Japanese internationals Shinji Kagawa and Yuto Nagatomo were honoured in previous years.

But, by making the top prize available to all Asian stars, regardless of which league they play in, would be a more fitting approach while elevating the status of the annual awards. It’s amazing to think that while former Manchester United star Park Ji-sung was once nominated for the Ballon d’Or, the South Korean never won a major AFC prize.

An unlikely supporter of a change is the 2010 AFC Player of the Year, Sasa Ognenovski, the former Seognam Illhwa Chunma captain who now plays with Sydney FC in his native Australia.

His feats with Korean side Seognam Illhwa – leading them to 2010 AFC Champions League glory as he scored the opening goal in the final – earned him the accolade but he may not have won had all Asian players around the world been eligible.

“I think it should be (a global award),” Ognenovski told ESPN FC. “I don’t see why you need to be playing in Asia or Europe to get the recognition of being the Asian player of the year.”

It’s not difficult to see why the AFC is reluctant to change things up. As it fights Asian fans’ ongoing obsession with European football, the governing body wants to put the spotlight on its own tournaments. And it would be unlikely that Okazaki, Ki or Jedinak would be able to fly mid-season for a December awards’ night in Asia.

As for the newly crowned top Asian player, Al-Shamrani probably won’t be affected too much by the impending eight-match ban. It will apply to Champions League games, which leaves him free to play in next month’s AFC Asian Cup in Australia.

That means he could come face-to-face again with Western Sydney’s Spiranovic, who is expected to be one of the starting central defenders for the host nation.

So it’s unlikely that any congratulatory remarks or pleasantries will be exchanged should Australia and Saudi Arabia meet, as they may do, in the Asian Cup quarterfinals on Jan 22 in Melbourne or Brisbane.

Jason Dasey is Senior Editor of ESPN FC, Borneo’s most popular football website which has now launched a Southeast Asia edition. Twitter: @JasonDasey