Carpenter crowned AFC international player of the year

Australia's Ellie Carpenter has made history by becoming the inaugural recipient of the Asian Football Confederation's Asian international player of the year (women) accolade.

The Cowra-born defender, who helped Australia beat Germany 2-1 in Duisburg earlier this week, edged fellow nominee Yui Hasegawa, of Japan, to the top prize at the awards ceremony in Seoul.

The AFC said the award was presented for the first time in recognition of the growth of women's football and the success of the continent's top players.

Carpenter, 24, won the award after helping her club side, Olympique Lyonnais, to the UEFA Women's Champions League final and to a record-breaking 17th Division 1 F?minine title.

Cortnee Vine, the former Sydney winger who now plays for North Carolina Courage, missed out narrowly on succeeding fellow Matilda Sam Kerr as the AFC's women's player of the year.

That award went to Japan's Kiko Seike. The other nominee was Kim Hye-ri of South Korea.

Qatar's Akram Afif was named the men's player of the year for a second time. Son Heung-min, who plays for Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham Hotspur, was named men's international player of the year .