Afrden Asqer (Chinese: 艾菲尔丁.艾斯卡尔; pinyin: Àifēi'ěrdīng Àisīkǎ'ěr; born 15 September 2003) is a Chinese professional footballer who plays as a forward for Chinese Super League club Wuhan Three Towns, on loan from Guangzhou FC.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 15 September 2003[note 1] | ||
| Place of birth | Kashgar, Xinjiang, China | ||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Wuhan Three Towns (on loan from Guangzhou FC) | ||
| Number | 20 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2017 | Shaanxi Laochenggen | ||
| 2017 | Shimizu S-Pulse | ||
| 2017–2018 | Kashima Antlers | ||
| 2018–2020 | Guangzhou Evergrande | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2020– | Guangzhou FC | 23 | (0) |
| 2020 | → China U19 (loan) | 8 | (3) |
| 2021 | → China U20 (loan) | 3 | (0) |
| 2021 | → Suzhou Dongwu (loan) | 24 | (2) |
| 2023 | → Mjällby AIF (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| 2024– | → Wuhan Three Towns (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2017-2018 | China U16 | 4 | (1) |
| 2019-2023 | China U20 | 10 | (0) |
| 2023- | China U23 | 4 | (0) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 14:01, 17 February 2023 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 14:01, 27 July 2021 (UTC) | |||
Club career edit
Early career edit
Born in Kashgar, Xinjiang, trained in Xi'an, Shaanxi, Afrden played for Shaanxi Laochenggen until 2017, when he moved to Japan to sign for Shimizu S-Pulse.[1] While in Japan, he also played for Kashima Antlers.
In 2018, he returned to China to join the youth ranks of Guangzhou.[2] Afrden went on to represent the China under-19 and under-20 teams in the China League Two in 2020 and 2021.[2][3]
2021 season edit
While also representing the China under-20 select in League Two, Afrden also played for Suzhou Dongwu in League One, again on loan from Guangzhou.[2]
In March 2023, Afrden signd for Allsvenskan club Mjällby AIF on loan for the 2023 season with the option to make the move permanent.[4]
Age controversy edit
Afrden's outstanding performance in the 2023 AFC U-20 Asian Cup captaining for China drew widespread media attention.[5] However, reports emerged that Afrden may have altered his age in the past. Accordingly, bone age reports published by the Chinese FA in 2012 showed a youth player by Afrden's same name with birthday of 2 May 2000. Bone age reports in 2014 showed another player with Afrden's name having been born on 28 January 2001. The same series of report in 2015 again showed a player with Afrden's name with a birthday of 15 September 2003.[6] The Chinese FA and Guangzhou have not, as of March 2023, responded to the allegation of age change. Afrden rejected the allegations on 11 March 2023.[7]
Career statistics edit
Club edit
- As of 27 July 2021.[8]
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Guangzhou | 2020 | Chinese Super League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| China U19 (loan) | 2020 | China League Two | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 8 | 3 | |
| China U20 (loan) | 2021 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
| Suzhou Dongwu (loan) | 2021 | China League One | 24 | 2 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 24 | 2 | |
| Career total | 35 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 5 | ||
Notes edit
- ^ Alternative documents show player with Afrden's name with birthdays of 1 January 2001 and 2 May 2000. See Age controversy section for more detail.
References edit
- ^ "新疆小将加盟J联赛清水心跳U18队，曾入选国少" [Xinjiang teenager joins the J-League Shimizu S-Pulse U18 team and was selected as a national junior]. sohu.com (in Chinese). 18 August 2017. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
- ^ a b c "恒大淘到宝了！17岁天才闪耀中甲 首秀贡献1球1助攻" [Evergrande has found a treasure! 17-year-old genius shines in China's first show with 1 goal and 1 assist]. sohu.com (in Chinese). 26 April 2021. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
- ^ "艾菲尔丁-艾斯卡尔入选U20国家队，苏州东吴损失锋线悍将！" [Afrden Afrden was selected for the U20 national team, Suzhou Dongwu lost the striker champion!]. new.qq.com (in Chinese). 11 May 2021. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
- ^ "Välkommen till Mjällby AIF, Afrden Asqer!" [Welcome to Mjällby AIF, Afrden Asqer!]. www.maif.se (in Swedish). 29 March 2023. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
- ^ "国足未来最大希望：艾菲尔丁3场亚青赛独造4球，前途无量！". www.sohu.com. Retrieved 2023-03-23.
- ^ "乱套了！国足新星被曝年龄造假，改小3岁踢亚洲杯，足协再遭质疑". sports.ifeng.com (in Chinese). Retrieved 2023-03-23.
- ^ 每日足球微看点 (2023-03-11). "辟谣了！艾菲尔丁否认改年龄，之前错怪他了，中国足球有望崛起". k.sina.cn. Retrieved 2023-03-23.
- ^ Afrden Asqer at Soccerway