Vietnamese striker Nguyen Tien Linh has been listed among the 25 nominees for the Best Footballer in Asia 2022 award organized by Titan Sports newspaper of China.

Linh is one of three Southeast Asian players competing for the award.

The other two regional nominees are Thai defender Theerathon Bunmathan and Singaporean striker Ikhsan Fandi.

Among other nominees are many superstars such as Son Heung Min of South Korea, Kaoru Mitoma of Japan, and Mehdi Taremi of Iran.

According to Titan Sports, Linh played consistently and won the top scorer title of the 2022 AFF Cup.

In the historic 3-1 victory over China in the third qualifying round of the 2022 World Cup, the Vietnamese striker performed well, scoring a goal to extend Vietnam’s lead.

He did a good job at the 2021 Southeast Asian Games held in May 2022, helping Vietnam U22s win the gold medal for the second time in a row.

At Binh Duong FC, he scored nine goals for the club in the Vietnamese top-tier V-League 1 2022, joining the group of local players who netted the most goals in the tournament.

For his impressive performances, Linh has been nominated for the 2022 Vietnam Golden Ball Award alongside four other footballers.

The Best Footballer in Asia Award has been held annually since 2013 by Titan Sports. 

The award is given to both Asian players and non-Asian players who are playing in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) member countries.

The winner is selected by nearly 50 sports journalists representing Asian countries.

From the 25-man shortlist, the journalists choose the top five players based on their individual and collective achievements during the year.

This year, the organizers plan to announce the winner later this month.

Son Heung Min won the award in 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021, while the award also went to former midfielder Keisuke Honda and striker Shinji Okazaki of Japan in 2013 and 2016, respectively.

Vietnam’s Nguyen Tien Linh also made it to the nomination list in 2021 and ended in 22nd place.

His national teammate, midfielder Nguyen Quang Hai, had also been nominated in 2018 and 2019 and finished 15th and 17th, respectively.

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