IN PICS: Every previous AFC POTY winner from Middle East

Brendon Netto - Senior Writer 14:57 28/11/2016

UAE and Al Ain FC star Omar Abdulrahman will be vying for the AFC Player of the Year award on Thursday.

The 2016 AFC Awards are set to be held in Abu Dhabi on December 1 and the 25 year-old has been nominated for the coveted prize alongside Hammadi Ahmed of Iraq and China’s Wu Lei.

Abdulrahman guided Al Ain to the finals of the AFC Champions League where they were beaten 3-2 on aggregate at the hands of Lei’s Jeonbuk FC.

The attacker however, excelled throughout the competition scoring three goals and providing five assists. He deservedly walked away with the Player of the Tournament award.

The gallery above looks back at the 12 previous recipients of the AFC Player of the Year award hailing from the Middle East with Abdulrahman’s compatriot Ahmed Khalil being the latest to win.

Saudi Arabia boasts five winners on the list while Iran are represented by four.

Who among the players on the list is your favourite?

Share with us your thoughts by commenting below, or get in touch with us on Twitter or via Facebook.

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