Hiroshima: Japan’s Ritsu Doan and Makoto Teguramori have received their 2016 AFC Youth Player of the Year and AFC Special Recognition Awards in Hiroshima, Japan.
The two winners were announced during the AFC Annual Awards 2016 gala event in Abu Dhabi last December. Doan and Teguramori received their awards during the 10th Football Conference Japan 2017.
Doan became the fifth Japanese player to win the AFC Youth Player of the Year award when he saw off stiff competition from Iraq’s Mohammed Dawood and Rakan Alanaze to be named Asia’s finest young star.
A series of accomplished displays on the right side of Japan’s midfield throughout the AFC U-19 Championship in Bahrain saw the Gamba Osaka youngster pick up the competition’s Most Valuable Player award as Japan beat Saudi Arabia on penalties to win the title for the first time in their country’s history.
Meanwhile, AFC Special Recognition Award winner and Japan U23 head coach Teguramori led his country to the AFC U23 Championship Qatar 2016 title which saw them qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympics,.
In Brazil, they earned plaudits galore while registering a 1-0 win over Sweden, a 2-2 draw with Colombia and a narrow 5-4 defeat at the hands of eventual semi-finalists Nigeria.
Japan sensationally beat Korea Republic 3-2 to lift their inaugural AFC U23 Championship crown on January 30, 2016.
Photo: Japan Football Association
Source: the-afc.com