And as we mentioned it was a banner day for Chinese football. With the China earned five of the AFC's annual end-of-the-season awards with Champions League winners Guangzhou Evergrande picking up three of them.
Alongside Zheng Zhi, who captured the AFC Player of the Year, China beat South Korea and Japan to win the AFC Fair Play Association of the Year award, which was presented by AFC Vice President Zhang Jilong.
Also, the inaugural AFC Inspiring’ Member Association of the Year award was also bestowed upon the Chinese Football Association.
For the AFC Foreign Player of the Year, Evergrande’s Muriqui and Dario Conca were both nominated. Muriqui, whose full name is pretty long, enlarged his collection after winning the AFC Champions League MVP and Top Scorer. The Brazilian striker scored 13 times to break the record of AFC Champions League top scorers.
Great players make better clubs, Guangzhou Evergrande’s historic AFC Champions League victory earned the Chinese side the prestigious AFC Club Team of the Year. They edged out FC Seoul for the nod, they side they defeated to win the Asian crown.
China was hoping another award as Wang Shuan competing for women’s AFC Youth Player of the Year. But that one went to South Korea’s Jang Sel-gi.