McCallum in line for major AFC award

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Matildas midfielder Collette McCallum is one of the three finalists in the running for the prestigious AFC Women's Player of the Year award.

Matildas midfielder Collette McCallum is one of the three finalists in the running for the prestigious AFC Women's Player of the Year award.

McCallum, who was one of Australia's standout performers at the recent FIFA Women's World Cup in China, will battle it out with Japan's former winner Jomare Sawa and DPR Korea-s Ri Kum Suk.

The identity of the winner will be revealed at the inaugural AFC Women-s Awards on November 6, 2007, here in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Sawa, who has earlier won this award in 2004, owes her inclusion in the list due to her outstanding performance for Japan in the FIFA Women-s World Cup and the Olympic qualifiers. Ri Kum Suk and McCallum also turned in brilliant performances for their teams in the same competitions.

The final three nominees in the other categories have also been announced.

The IR Iran Football Federation, Japan Football Association and Football Association of Thailand are left in the fray for the AFC Association of the Year award while the teams of Australia, Japan and Korea Republic are contending for the Fair Play award.

Two nominees for AFC Assistant Referee of the Year are from China - Fu Hongjue and Liu Hongjuan, and Liu Hsiu Mei from Chinese Taipei.

Nui Huijun (China), Tammy Ogston (Australia) and Oiwa Mayumi (Japan) are in the running for AFC Referee of the Year.

Kim Kwang Min (DPR Korea), Hiroshi Ohashi (Japan) and Tom Sermanni (Australia) are in the fray for the coveted AFC Coach of the Year accolade while Asian women-s champions China, runners-up Australia and DPR Korea are in contention for AFC National Team of the Year.

Ji So Yun (Korea Republic), Ra Un Sim and Yun Hyon Hi (both DPR Korea) are the final nominees for AFC Youth Player of the Year.

FIFA President Joseph Blatter will attend the awards ceremony which takes place at the JW Marriott Hotel.

AFC is the first confederation to accord special status to women's football across the region by instituting an awards ceremony.