Afrden Asqer
 Afrden in 2024 | |||
| 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) | 16 | (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 14:21, 4 November 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 14:01, 27 July 2021 (UTC) | |||
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.
Club career
Early career
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
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 signed for Allsvenskan club Mjällby AIF on loan for the 2023 season with the option to make the move permanent.[4]
Age controversy
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
Club
- 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
- ^ 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
- ^ "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 23 March 2023.
- ^ "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 23 March 2023.
- ^ 每日足球微看点 (11 March 2023). "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 23 March 2023.
- ^ Afrden Asqer at Soccerway