Arif Aiman's AFC Player Of The Year Nomination A Big Boost For Malaysian Football

By Ahmad Nazrin Syahmi Mohamad Arif

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 26 (Bernama) -- Arif Aiman Mohd Hanapi's nomination for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Player of the Year award is a testament to the rise of Malaysian football, which has been in the doldrums for so long.

The nippy Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) winger has been nominated with two of Asia's top names - Qatar's Akram Afif, who won the Golden Boot award in the 2023 Asian Cup, and Al-Hilal striker Salem Al-Dawsari of Saudi Arabia - for the Player of the Year award, which will be presented at the AFC Annual Awards 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Oct 16.

And that says a lot about Arif Aiman's own high standards as well as the fact that Malaysia now possesses a gem of a player.

His nomination has caught the attention of national football legend Datuk Zainal Abidin Hassan, who said that Arif Aiman's nomination has opened the eyes of Asia's powerhouses to the fact that Malaysia is home to some of the region's most talented players.

Zainal, who made the Asian All Stars lineup during the 1982 and 1985 AFC awards ceremonies, also believes that Arif Aiman will prove to be an inspiration to the younger generation.

"After the era of Datuk Soh (Chin Aun), the late Mokhtar (Datuk Mokhtar Dahari) and myself, we finally have a player who has been nominated for the top award. This is a proud moment because football in Asia has grown by leaps and bounds.

"He (Arif Aiman) will become an icon for younger players, who will surely say: 'I want to be like Arif Aiman one day’. This was how it was back in those days, as I wanted to be like Mokhtar. This is the push that Malaysian football needs going forward,” said the former Pahang head coach when contacted by Bernama today. 

Meanwhile, Assoc Prof Dr Mohamad Nizam Nazarudin, a senior lecturer in Sports and Recreation at the Faculty of Education, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), described the 23-year-old player's nomination as clear proof of the effectiveness of systematic development.

The former Head of Sports Science and Performance Analyst of Sabah FC said that, from the sports science perspective, Arif Aiman's nomination proves that structured training, exposure to a competitive environment and support from performance science can elevate players to the pinnacle of Asian football.

"Arif Aiman is a product of this consistent ecosystem - from the academy stage to the professional level. This is not a coincidence, but proof that we can produce more players of international standard. 

"This achievement must be a catalyst. Don't let this be about just one player. Malaysia needs to produce more 'Arif Aimans’ through the support of sports science, performance psychology and continuous international exposure,” he said.

Local football analyst Datuk Dr Pekan Ramli, meanwhile, has described Arif Aiman's nomination as a major recognition for Malaysian football.

"This will pave the way for talent scouts to include Malaysia as part of their network,” he said.

Yesterday, the AFC announced that Arif Aiman is among the three main candidates for the AFC Player of the Year award, thus becoming the first Malaysian footballer to be nominated for the top gong.

In April, Arif Aiman became the first player to win the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award for a fourth straight time at the 2024-2025 National Football Awards ceremony.

Last season, he scored five goals to help JDT advance to the round of 16 of the AFC Champions League Elite competition, besides winning the Treble with the Southern Tigers in the Malaysia League (M-League).

-- BERNAMA