Graham Arnold may no longer be coach of the Socceroos but his achievements in the post have been recognised with a nomination for the men’s coach of the year in the Asian Football Confederation Awards. Arnold, who left the Australia job after six years following a disappointing start to 2026 World Cup qualifying’s stage three, saying he felt it was time for a change, is up against Go Oiwa, who led Japan to the quarter-finals of the Olympic Games, and South Korea’s Asian Games gold medal winner Hwang Sun-hong. Tony Popovic has already replaced Arnold, who led Australia to the 2023 Asian Cup quarter-finals. Two Matildas have also been nominated. Cortnee Vine is shortlisted in the women’s player of the year category and Ellie Carpenter in the new Asian international player of the year (women) section. Vine helped Sydney FC to the championship and premiership double before leaving to play for North Carolina Courage in America’s NWSL. She also scored that famous penalty in the 2023 Women’s World Cup shoot-out against France. Carpenter reached the UEFA Champions League final and won the French league with Lyon. Vine is up against Kiko Seike from Japan and South Korea’s Kim Hye-ri. Carpenter faces competition from Manchester City’s Japanese midfielder Yui Hasegawa. Australia’s Women’s U20 coach Leah Blayney has been nominated for female coach of the year, along with Japan’s Tomoki Miyamoto and Park Yeon-jeong of South Korea U20s. Also nominated are Twente’s former Melbourne FC player Daniela Galic for AFC youth player of the year (women) and Football Australia for AFC President recognition awards for grassroots football (gold). Qatar’s Asian Cup winning captain Akram Afif has been nominated for a second Asian player of the year award, joining Jordan’s Yazan Al-Naimat and Seol Young-woo of South Korea. Afif previously won in 2019 and is favourite to reclaim the trophy after leading his nation to a second consecutive continental title in February, when hosts Qatar defeated Jordan in the Asian Cup final. The AFC Asian international player of the year (men) contenders are South Korea’s Tottenham star Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur and KOR), Iran’s Mehdi Taremi (Porto/Inter Milan) and Mousa Al Tamari (Montpellier) of Jordan. The winners will be announced at a gala dinner in Seoul on 29 October.