NEWS

Gamba Osaka, who won the AFC Champions League earlier this month, were named Club of the Year at the AFC Awards ceremony in Shanghai on Tuesday night and manager Akira Nishino was named AFC Manager of the Year.

Nishino became the second Japanese manager following to win the award following Jubilo Iwata manager Takashi Kuwabara in 1998. Former Japan coach Philippe Troussier also won in 2000.
Japan won the AFC National Team of the Year and the Japan Football Association collected the AFC Fair Play prize.
Former JFA President Ken Naganuma, who passed away in June, was honored with the Diamonds of Asia for his great contribution to the development and promotion of Asian football.
Japan internationals Yasuhito Endo of Gamba Osaka and Yuji Nakazawa of Yokohama F. Marinos both missed out on the AFC Player of the Year award, which went to Uzbekistan international Server Djaparov of Kuruvchi/Bunyodkor.
 Nishino commented, “I’m honoured to receive this prize. It was made possible not just by my own efforts, but with the help of all my players and staff.”
Japan’s 1996 Olympic team coach started the 2008 season by leading Gamba to the inaugural Pan Pacific Championship in Hawaii in February. The Osaka club then won the AFC Champions League in an undefeated campaign and with an attractive brand of football.
The new Asian champions will now move on to play in the FIFA Club World Cup 2008 Japan presented by Toyota, slated for December 11-21.