KUALA LUMPUR — The dreams of millions of Malaysians to see national and Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) winger Arif Aiman Mohd Hanapi be crowned Asia’s Player of the Year were dashed when the coveted title went to Saudi Arabia’s Salem Al-Dawsari.

Still, it was a momentous achievement for Arif Aiman to be among the three players nominated for the award at the 2025 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Awards Night at the King Fahad Culture Centre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The other player nominated was Qatari superstar Akram Afiff.

Despite not winning the top gong, Arif Aiman can stand tall for becoming the first Malaysian ever nominated for the AFC Player of the Year award.

Last season, the 23-year-old Arif Aiman scored five goals to help JDT advance to the round of 16 of the AFC Champions League Elite competition.

He also guided the Southern Tigers to a clean sweep of all four trophies in the Malaysia League (M-League) for three consecutive seasons, besides being a key component in the Harimau Malaya squad in the ongoing Asian Cup Qualifiers.

Meanwhile, at the AFC Awards Night, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) also won the AFC President’s Recognition Award for Grassroots Football Silver Category, which was handed over to FAM honorary president Tan Sri Hamidin Mohd Amin.