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AFC - Since the inaugural AFC Annual Awards in 1994, players from Japan, Iran and Saudi Arabia have established a strong grip on the AFC Player of the Year category.

Japanese players have figured four times on envelopes bearing the winners' names, the same as Iran and Saudi Arabia, all three leading the pack in this prestigious class. It is almost an exclusive club which only Qatar, Uzbekistan and China have managed to break into over the years.

Saudi Saeed Owairan, dubbed as the Maradona of the Arabs, clinched the inaugural award, thanks to his wonderful performance in the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States. The Al Shabab star is best remembered for his wonder goal against Belgium which entered the record books as the sixth best goal scored in a World Cup.

Then came defender Masami Ihara, opening Japan’s account the next year before Iran got on board in 1996 through Khodadad Azizi, the man who scripted Iran’s qualification for the 1998 World Cup with his superb equaliser.

Japanese playmaker Hidetoshi Nakata kept the title under lock and key in 1997 and 1998 before another Iranian Ali Daei won it the following year.

In 2000 it was the turn of Saudi Arabia’s Nawaf Al Temyat after a string of wonderful goals in the AFC Asian Cup to claim the title.

The only Chinese till date to be named the best player in Asia was Fan Zhiyi in 2001 before Shinji Ono, then playing for Feyenoord, returned Japan to the scene in 2002.

The following two years saw Team Melli stars Mehdi Mahdavikia and Ali Karimi putting Iran on the pedestal before the Saudis pulled one back through Al Ittihad defender Hamad Al Montashari in 2005.

Among these stars, Ono and Mahdavikia have a special standing of their own, having won the AFC Youth Player of the Year too.

Ono saw his name being engraved on the AFC Youth Player of the Year trophy in 1998, courtesy a series of match-winning performances for the Japan youth team in the AFC Youth Championship.

Ono went on to prove his credentials in the FIFA Youth World Championship the next year and played a key role in Japan’s run to the Final where they lost to Spain.

Within four years, it wasn’t a big surprise when Ono’s senior team heroics fetched him the AFC Player of the Year award.

Mahdavikia, then playing for Piroozi (Persepolis), shot to fame in 1997 after clinching the youth award and also the Goal of the Year accolade.

Six years later, Mahdavikia, now strutting his stuff for Bundesliga outfit Eintracht Frankfurt , had matured enough to become the fourth Iranian to be officially recognised as the best ball player in Asia.

Qatari Ibrahim Khalfan surprised the world by winning the honours in 2006. The following year, it was the turn of fellow West Asian Yasser Al Qahtani to scoop the honours with a scintillating display for Saudi Arabia in the AFC Asian Cup 2007.

Last year held the biggest surprise of all as Server Djeparov of Uzbekistan struck a first for Central Asia by clinching the silverware in front of Yasuhito Endo, one of the nominees this time round, Yuji Nakazawa, Sebastian Soria and Ismael Matar.