Ellie Carpenter has made history after the CommBank Matildas became the inaugural winner of the AFC’s 2023 Women’s Asian International Player of the Year.
The Lyon star and A-Leagues legend edged fellow nominee Yui Hasegawa of Japan to the top prize at the AFC Annual Awards in Seoul, South Korea.
The award has been introduced for the first time at this edition in “recognition of the growth of women’s football and the success of the Continent’s top players”.
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Carpenter – who played in Tuesday’s shock 2-1 victory over Germany – was recognised after helping European juggernaut Lyon reach the UEFA Women’s Champions League final, while also claiming a record-breaking 17th Division 1 Feminine crown.
Former Sydney FC star Cortnee Vine – now playing for North Carolina Courage in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) – missed out on the AFC’s Women’s Player of the Year as Japan’s Kiko Seike (Brighton and Hove Albion) reigned supreme.
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Ex-Melbourne City sensation Daniela Galic narrowly missed out on the AFC Women’s Youth Player of the Year to Chae Un Yong of DPR Korea.
As for former Subway Socceroos head coach Graham Arnold – a two-time Isuzu UTE A-League champion, and CommBank Young Matildas boss Leah Blayney – they were edged out in the AFC Men’s Coach of the Year and Women’s Coach of the Year categories.
