The 29-year-old, who also won the award in 2003, scored three as Uzbekistan reached the quarter-finals of the 2007 AFC Asian Cup and saw off stiff competition for the individual accolade from Pakhtakor playmaker Server Djeparov and defender Vitaliy Denisov, who also plays in the Ukraine league with Dynamo’s rivals Dnipro.

AFC Coach of the Year 2007 Rauf Inileev won Uzbekistan’s coach of the year prize to add to his continental honour while Ravshan Irmatov, who officiated the second leg of the 2007 AFC Champions League final, was named Uzbekistan’s referee of the Year.