AFC has announced the list of ten nominees who will be vying for the AFC Women's Player of the Year award.

All the contenders are from the powerhouses of Asia with three players each from Japan and Australia and two each from DPR Korea and China. Three Asian teams – China, Australia and DPR Korea - reached the quarterfinals of the FIFA Women's World Cup recently and the list reflects the strong performance of the players in the tournament.

The new inclusions in the list are playmaker Colette McCallum, defender duo Heather Garriock and Cheryl Salisbury (all Australia), last year's winner and the youngest nominee at 19 years of age, Ma Xiaoxu, and Xie Caixia from China, Ri Un Suk from DPR Korea and the only goalkeeper nominee Miho Fukumoto from Japan.

Shinobu Ohno and Homare Sawa from Japan and Ri Kum Suk from DPR Korea are still in the list after the latest update since September after a good performance in the FIFA Women's World Cup.

The AFC Women's Player of the Year award will go to the most outstanding women's player who has performed consistently at AFC and/or FIFA competitions and this year's winner will be announced at the inaugural AFC Women's Awards which will take place on November 6 in Kuala Lumpur .

AFC will become FIFA's first confederation to launch the a Women's Annual Awards to recognize and honor women football players.

The final three contenders for the prestigious award will be announced later this month.

AFC Women's Player of the Year Nominees (in alphabetical order)

- FUKUMOTO Miho ( Japan )

- GARRIOCK Heather ( Australia )

- MA Xiaoxu ( China PR)

- MCCALLUM Collette ( Australia )

- OHNO Shinobu ( Japan )

- RI Kum Suk (DPR Korea )

- RI Un Suk (DPR Korea )

- SALISBURY Cheryl ( Australia )

- SAWA Homare ( Japan )

- XIE Caixia ( China PR)

(CRI via the-afc.com October 2, 2007)