Omar, Khalil in AFC Player of the Year shortlist

Abu Dhabi - Ahli set for Guangzhou battle in AFC Champions League

Al Ain playmaker Omar Abdulrahman and Al Ahli striker Ahmed Khalil have been nominated for the AFC Player of the Year, the AFC announced on Thursday.
The AFC Annual Awards ceremony is set to be held in the Indian capital of New Delhi on November 29 and both Omar and Khalil are in a three-man shortlist. The other player in the list is Zheng Zhi, who won the award in 2013.
Japan have two nominees for the AFC Women's Player of the Year with Aya Miyama, the captain of the Japan national women's team in the fray along with compatriot, Rumi Utsugi, who plies her trade with Montpellier, in the French women's top flight. Australian Elise Kellond-Knight is the other nominee.
Meanwhile, after an injury-plagued last season, Omar Abdulrahman has been in good form this year for both club and country.
The 24-year-old has been impressive in the AFC Champions League, where Al Ain reached the Round of 16. Earlier, he had helped the UAE clinch the bronze in the AFC Asian Cup in Australia in January. Omar has also played a pivotal role in the UAE's current World Cup qualifying campaign.
UAE teammate Khalil is in the form of his life, having helped Al Ahli reach the final of the AFC Champions League for the very first time. Al Ahli will play Chinese Super League club Guangzhou Evergrande in the return leg on Saturday.
Khalil, AFC Young Player of the Year and AFC U-19 Championship MVP in 2008, also helped the UAE win bronze at the AFC Asian Cup. The 24-year-old is also currently the second leading goalscorer in the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2018/AFC Asian Cup 2019 Joint Preliminary Round 2 qualifiers, with 10 goals.
It clearly is a three-way fight with Zheng Zhi too very much in the reckoning. The 35-year-old, who was 2013 AFC Player of the Year as well as Chinese Football Player of the Year in 2002 and 2006, has led Guangzhou Evergrande to five straight Chinese Super League titles and was captain when the Chinese national team reached the quarterfinals of January's AFC Asian Cup 2015.
He also captained Guangzhou Evergrande to the 2013 AFC Champions League title.

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