Afif driven to make history after securing second Asian crown

Newly crowned AFC Player of the Year Akram Afif has set his sights on breaking new ground after joining a select group of players who have won the continent's top individual award two times.

Afif joined Japan's Hidetoshi Nakata and Server Djeparov of Uzbekistan as the only players to win the Asian Football Confederation's top accolade twice, and the Qatari is now determined to complete a hat-trick of successes.

"I want to make history, I want to make something big for my life," Afif, who first won the award in 2019, said after collecting the trophy at a gala ceremony in Seoul.

"Tomorrow my son, someone will speak about me and what I did for the country, what I did for myself, what I did for the club. Yes, I won it twice, but there are others who have won it twice.

"Yes, I won the Asian Cup twice but there are others who have won it more than two times. So still I've done nothing big."

Afif won the latest award after playing the lead role in his nation's defence of the Asian Cup title in Qatar earlier in the year, with his success for both his team and on an individual basis replicating his achievements in 2019.

Then the Al-Sadd forward was also instrumental in Qatar's first Asian Cup win in the United Arab Emirates five years ago and those performances also saw him named the continent's best player by the confederation.

With Afif due to turn 28 next month and with two trophies now residing in his cabinet, he is determined to add to his haul for himself, his club and his national team.

"Every year I get some offers and if there is something serious they will communicate with the club to proceed with it."