Son Heung-min named S. Korea’s top male footballer for record 6th year

 South Korean captain Son Heung-min has been named the country’s top male football player of the year for a record sixth time.

The Korea Football Association (KFA) announced winners of the annual KFA Awards on Wednesday. Son earned the Male Player of the Year honor for the third straight time and sixth year overall. He previously won this award in 2013, 2014, 2017, 2019 and 2020.

He netted four goals in seven international matches in 2021. At club level, Son set a career high with 22 goals in all competitions for Tottenham Hotspur in the 2020-2021 season.

This image provided by the Korea Football Association (KFA) on Dec. 29, 2021, shows Son Heung-min, winner of the KFA Male Player of the Year. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Son earned 253 points overall, well ahead of the runner-up, Fenerbahce center back Kim Min-jae. Son had support from 47 of 52 journalists, while Kim got a vote from 13 out of 26 KFA officials, one more than Son.

Thanks to Son’s heroics, South Korea are well on their way to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. With four matches to go in Asia’s final qualifying round, South Korea are in second place in Group A with 14 points, two back of Iran. The top two nations from each of the two groups will grab automatic spots in Qatar, while the third-place teams will meet in a playoff. South Korea can clinch their place as early as next month.

“This is a huge honor, and I am grateful to win this award,” Son said in a video message posted by the KFA, which canceled the awards ceremony due to COVID-19 restrictions. “We haven’t yet qualified for the World Cup, and I will keep doing the best I can until the very end of the qualification phase.”

Ji So-yun was named the Female Player of the Year for the sixth time, extending her own record. She had also earned the award in 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014 and 2019.

In September, Ji became South Korean football’s all-time leading scorer, male or female, by netting her 59th international goal against Mongolia in a qualifying match for the 2022 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Asian Cup.

Ji also helped Chelsea FC Women to the English league and FA Cup titles, and to the runner-up finish at the UEFA Women’s Champions League.

For the women’s award, head coaches from the eight clubs in the WK League and nine members of the women’s national team coaching staff across different age groups cast their votes. Ji earned 38 voting points, with the 2020 Player of the Year winner, Jang Selgi, finishing in second place this time with 17 points.

“I want to thank my teammates and coaches for helping me win such a great award,” Ji said. “We will try to win the Women’s Asian Cup next year (in January), and I hope you will all watch us and cheer for us.”