Indian skipper Bhaichung Bhutia missed out on the Asian Footballer of the Year award by Arabic language magazine ‘Super’ and the honour eventually went to South Korean captain Park Ji Sung.
The ‘Sikkimese Sniper’ failed to make it into the top 10 after being named in the best 43. Park Ji Sung bagged a cash prize of $100,000 though he couldn’t attend the function at the Emirates Palace Hotel at Abu Dhabi as he wasn’t released by his club Manchester United. Arsenal’s Emmanuel Adebayor won the African Player of the Year award and praised the Asian winner who hails from his rival club.
“He's a very good player: a player who loves to play football and who works hard for the team.
"I've known him very well for four or five years and he's considered one of the best midfielders in the Premier League.”