TEHRANTIMES - Iran Football Federation (IFF) was chosen as the AFC Member Association of the Year by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) at a glittering ceremony on Thursday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The prestigious award is given to a member association in recognition of its professional administration and governance as well its exceptional contribution to the development and promotion of the game at all levels within the country.

Also in 2009, Iran was selected as the AFC Member Association of the Year.

"Iran deserved to win the award. We did our best during the past years to improve our federation. This is the second time we have won the award and this shows how committed we are in developing our football,” Kaffashian said.

“Iran is on the right track at the moment. I think we have a big chance to qualify for the 2014 World Cup, but it is difficult now since we failed to defeat Uzbekistan in our home game,” he added.

Iran midfielder Ali Karimi was also a candidate to win the AFC Player of the Year Award but South Korean Lee Keun-ho from Ulsan Hyundai scooped the award.

AFC ANNUAL AWARS 2012 – Winners List

AFC DIAMOND OF ASIA: Datuk Seri Setia Raja Tan Sri Hamzah Haji Abu Samah

AFC DREAM ASIA AWARD: United Arab Emirates Football Association (UAE)

AFC MEMBER ASSOCIATION OF THE YEAR: IR Iran Football Federation

AFC FAIR PLAY ASSOCIATION OF THE YEAR: Uzbekistan Football Federation

AFC CLUB OF THE YEAR: Ulsan Hyundai  (Korea Republic)

AFC FUTSAL TEAM OF THE YEAR:  Iran

AFC NATIONAL TEAM OF THE YEAR (MEN): Korea Olympic Team

AFC NATIONAL TEAM OF THE YEAR (WOMEN): Japan Olympic Team

AFC ASSISTANT REFEREE OF THE YEAR (MEN): Rasulov Abdukhamidullo (Uzbekistan)

AFC ASSISTANT REFEREE OF THE YEAR (WOMEN): Kim Kyoung Min (Korea Republic)

AFC REFEREE OF THE YEAR (MEN): Yuichi Nishimura (Japan)

AFC REFEREE OF THE YEAR (WOMEN): Yamagishi Sachiko (Japan)

AFC COACH OF THE YEAR (MEN): Kim Ho Gon (Korea Republic)

AFC COACH OF THE YEAR (WOMEN): Takemoto Asako (Japan)

AFC FUTSAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Rafael Henmi (Japan)

AFC YOUTH PLAYER OF THE YEAR (MEN): Mohanad Abdulraheem Karrar (Iraq)

AFC YOUTH PLAYER OF THE YEAR (WOMEN):Shibata Hanae (Japan)

AFC ASIAN INTERNATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Shinji Kagawa (Japan) – Manchester United, England

AFC FOREIGN PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Rogerio De Assis Silva Coutinho (Brazil) – Kuwait SC (Kuwait)

AFC WOMEN’S PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Aya Miyama (Japan)

AFC PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Lee Keun-ho (Korea Republic)