Other Aussies on the list of 14 are Mark Schwarzer and strangely Nathan Burns – even though the former Red is struggling to get a game at AEK Athens and only played in the ACL group stages.

Gamba Osaka's attacking midfielder Yasuhito Endo and Qatar's Sebastian Quintana are also on the list.

The catalogue will be revised after the two legged ACL final before the final list is announced ahead of the awards in Shanghai on November 25.

NINTH LIST OF CONTENDERS FOR AFC PLAYER OF THE YEAR 2008
(in alphabetical order; revised list as of October 31, 2008)

1. Ahmad Ajab (Kuwait and Al Qadsia – Kuwait )
2. Ali Al Habsi (Oman and Bolton Wanderers – England )
3. Andres Sebastian Soria Quintana ( Qatar and Qatar SC – Qatar )
4. Choe Kum-Chol (DPRK and April 25 - DPRK)
5. Ebrahim Sadeghi ( Iran and Saipa – Iran )
6. Ismael Matar (UAE and Al Wahda – UAE)
7. Jehad Al Hussein (Syria and Kuwait SC – Kuwait)
8. Mark Schwarzer - (Australia and Fulham - England)
9. Nathan Burns (Australia and AEK Athens – Greece)
10. Saad Al Harthi - (Saudi Arabia and Al Nasr - Saudi Arabia)
11. Server Djeparov (Uzbekistan and Kuruvchi/Bunyodkor – Uzbekistan)
12. Travis Dodd - (Australia and Adelaide United - Australia)
13. Yasuhito Endo - (Japan and Gamba Osaka - Japan)
14. Yuji Nakazawa ( Japan and Yokohama F Marinos – Japan)