Iranian Trio Shortlisted for AFC International Player of Week


Iranian Trio Shortlisted for AFC International Player of Week

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Sardar Azmoun, Allahyar Sayyadmanesh and Karim Ansarifard have been shortlisted for this week’s AFC International Player of the Week.

The-afc.com has chosen a perfect 10 contenders for this week’s shortlist, including three Iranians. 

Sardar Azmoun (Zenit, Iran)
90 minutes, 1 goal, 86% pass accuracy, 11 duels won (1-2 v Rubin Kazan)

After watching his national team counterpart Mehdi Taremi bag an extraordinary number of goals in the early months of 2021, Sardar Azmoun netted his first competitive goal of the year, albeit in a 2-1 defeat in Tatarstan. Azmoun’s goal was his 12th of the season, taking him clear in the Russian Premier League Golden Boot race.

Allahyar Sayyadmanesh (Zorya Luhansk, Iran)
45 minutes, 2 goals, 71% passes completed (4-0 v FC Lviv)

Iran’s boy wonder continues his coming-of-age in the Ukrainian Premier League, scoring two poacher’s efforts in a dominant first half display against Lviv. Zorya’s win keeps them in the mix of the title race, with a huge fixture against leaders Dyanmo Kyiv ahead this weekend.

Karim Ansarifard (AEK Athens, Iran)
84 minutes, 3 shots, 12 duels won (0-1 v Volos NFC)
90 minutes, 2 goals, 81% pass accuracy (2-0 Apollon Smirnis)

When it rains, it pours. 11 scoreless games since his last goal, against Larnia two months earlier, Karim Ansarifard had his name on the scoresheet twice within 25 minutes. Ansarifard has now netted 11 times this season in all competitions, by far the most of any AEK player.

The Iranian players will have to vie with Sam Kerr (Chelsea, Australia), Caitlin Foord (Arsenal, Australia), Mahmoud Wadi (Pyramids FC, Palestine), Musa Al Taamari (OH Leuven, Jordan), Gulzhigit Alykulov (Kairat Almaty, Kyrgyz Republic), Harry Souttar (Stoke City, Australia) and Junya Ito (KRC Genk, Japan) to win the award.

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