At just 23 years old, Omar Kharbin broke down a number of barriers in an eventful 2017. After joining Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal on loan (in what would later become a full transfer) he scored 24 goals in 33 matches, helping the club to their first Saudi Professional League title since the 2010-11 season and reach the final of the 2017 AFC Champions League.
Kharbin also excelled for Syria’s national team, scoring two goals against Qatar in late August to lead his country to the Asian qualifying playoff against Australia. The Damascus native may not be a familiar face to casual fans of the game, but no true fan of Asian football can dispute that the 2017 Asian Footballer of the Year earned his place at the top of our rankings.
