Iran goalie Beiranvand nominated for AFC player of year

Tehran, Nov 19 (IANS) Alireza Beiranvand, the goalkeeper of the Iran national football team and Persepolis club, has been nominated for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Player of the Year. The Persepolis goalie is joined by Japanese striker Yuma Suzuki who currently plays in Kashima Antlers and Al Sadd of Qatar defender Abdelkarim Hassan to compete for the title, reports Xinhua news agency. Beiranvand had an eyecatching performance in the FIFA 2018 World Cup, where Iran narrowly missed the chance to reach the knockout phase. Beiranvand also helped Persepolis reach the final of the 2018 AFC Champions League for the first time. The AFC Player of the Year will be introduced in the Asian Football Confederation annual awards in Muscat on November 28.
--IANS