Sports
Qatar’s Al-Haydos, Japan’s Yamashita lead Asian nominees for FIFA Awards
December 01, 2024 | 12:23 AM
Kuala Lumpur: Qatar’s Hasan al-Haydos and Ayaka Yamashita of Japan are among several Asian players nominated for The Best FIFA Football Awards 2024.Japan women’s head coach Futoshi Ikeda, Yui Hasegawa, Saki Kumagai and Australian duo Ellie Carpenter and Steph Catley have also been nominated.Al-Haydos emerged as a standout name in the prestigious FIFA Puskás Award category.The Qatari captain’s stunning goal against China PR during the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 on January 22, 2024, earned him a place among the nominees.Joining al-Haydos on the nominees list is Yamashita, who is nominated in two categories – Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper and Best FIFA Women’s 11.Yamashita showcased her exceptional talent by helping Japan reach the quarter-finals of the Paris 2024 Olympics. Domestically, she added to her accolades by leading her side to victory in the 2023 Japanese Empress’s Cup.Hasegawa, who was recognised in the 2023-24 English Women’s Super League Team of the Year and Kumagai, winner of the 2023-24 Italian Serie A Femminile, were the other Japanese players nominated for the Best FIFA Women’s 11.Also on the list are Australian duo Catley, who was a third-place finisher in the 2023-24 English Women’s Super League and a standout at the Paris 2024 Olympics with two goals while Carpenter won the 2023-24 French Division 1 Feminine with Olympique Lyonnais Feminin and was runner-up in the 2023-24 UEFA Women’s Champions League. Ikeda has earned a nomination for The Best FIFA Women’s Coach after guiding Japan to the quarter-finals of the Paris 2024 Olympics.
December 01, 2024 | 12:23 AM