Keisuke Honda became the first voted winner of Best Footballer in Asia Award. The Japanese star, who plays for CSKA Moscow, finished ahead of Elkeson de Oliveira Cardoso and Darío Leonardo Conca, both playing for Guangzhou Evergrande FC.
The Best Footballer in Asia Award was launched earlier this year by Titan Sports of China. Journalists representing AFC national associations and several European journalists who cover Asian football voted for the winner. Each voter chose five players and points were awarded as followed - five points for a first place in a voters' list, four points for second, three points for third, two points for fourth, and one point for fifth.
As the result, Keisuke Honda claimed a total of 46 points, leaving Elkeson de Oliveira Cardoso and Darío Leonardo Conca tied in second place with 32 points each. The fourth place went to Son Heung-Min of Bayer Leverkusen and Zheng Zhi of Guangzhou Evergrande, who finished on par with 31 points.
Honda has been playing for CSKA Moscow since 2010 and he is linked in a move to AC Milan next season.
