AFC Player of the Year nominees hold press conference in Bangkok

The 2017 AFC Annual Awards is to take place in Bangkok on Wednesday.

Emirati football player Omar Abdulrahman, Syrian football player Omar Khribin and Chinese football player Wu Lei attend a press conference of the nomination for the 2017 Asian Footballer of the Year award ahead of the 2017 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Annual Awards Ceremony in Bangkok, Thailand, 28 November 2017. [Photo: IC]

Chinese player Wu Lei has been nominated for the Player of the Year for a second consecutive year.

"Being nominee for a second straight time is the great recognition of my ability. For my club, we made the breakthrough in the AFC Champions League by reaching the semi-finals. I also had stable performance in the Champions League this season. I believe all three nominees are very capable of winning the award. I really wish I could be the one to win such great honour," Wu Lei said.

The 26-year-old became the top-scoring domestic player after scoring 20 goals in 28 Chinese Super League games.

Wu says he will still play in China in the near future.

"I have been kept receiving invitations from the clubs in Europe. But I don't think the timing is right. For the moment, the main goal for me is to help the club to win the domestic league and the AFC Champions League. Then I can start to consider my career," Wu said.

Wu will compete with Omar Abdulrahman and Omar Khrbin for the award.

Australian Samantha Kerr is the favourite to win the Women's Player of the Year Award.

The Sky Blue striker became the all-time leading goalscorer in America's National Women's Soccer League in July this year.

Saki Kumagai from Japan and North Korea's Sung Hyang Sim are the other two nominees for the Women's Player of the Year Award.