Vouria Ghafouri appeared in all 10 of Esteghlal’s games as the Tehran giant reached the quarter-finals for only the second time. The full-back’s energy down the right was a constant threat to opposing defenses while he also weighed in with two goals, including a match-winning strike against Al Hilal.

In a poll conducted by the-afc.com, 92 percent of participants voted for the Iranian right-back.

Ghafouri vied with Japanese Koki Anzai, Lee Yong from South Korea, and Zhang Linpeng from China.