Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: Aya Miyama continues to standout as one of the finest players of her generation with the Japan international claiming the AFC Women’s Player of the Year Award for the third time in her illustrious career.
The 30-year-old, who was adjudged the continent’s top female player in 2011 and 2012, completed her hat-trick of individual accolades after being named the 2015 AFC Women’s Player of the Year ahead of Australia’s Elise Kellond-Knight and Nadeshiko team-mate Rumi Utsugi having captained Japan to a runners-up finish at the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Miyama, whose first AFC Women’s Player of the Year Award came after helping Japan to glory at the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup, had a stellar tournament in Canada as Japan came to within one match of successfully defending their global crown.
The Okoyama Yunogo Belle’s midfielder claimed MVP awards against Cameroon and Switzerland and contributed two goals and two assists to end the campaign with the Bronze Ball Award for the tournament’s third-best player to go with her 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup runners-up medal.
Miyama - along with Carli Lloyd of the USA and Germany’s Célia Šašić - is also in the running for the FIFA Women's World Player of the Year award which is set to be announced in Zurich, Switzerland on January 11, 2016.