AFC Player of the Year candidate Server Djeparov has defended the integrity of the award in the wake of criticism over its criteria.
Uzbekistan international Djeparov and Iran s Hadi Aghily are the only two nominees able to attend Wednesday s grand ceremony in Kuala Lumpur.
Under the AFC s criteria for the honour, players must attend the ceremony to be eligible to win the award.
Japan s Keisuke Honda (CSKA Moscow) and Shinji Kagawa (Borussia Dortmund) cannot attend the ceremony due to Champions League commitments with their respective clubs, while South Korean pair Koo Ja-Cheol (Wolfsburg) and Yeom Ki-Hun (Suwon) are also unable to attend and have consequently reduced the shortlist for the honour from six to two.
There are reports that the AFC will look to change the protocol behind the award, but Djeparov winner of the award in 2008 defended the criteria.
This is an important event for the AFC and for the players so anyone that is to win an award must show respect for the ceremony, he said.
I won previously in 2008 and it is a dream to be able to get this award again.
I have worked hard for three years and I am very happy to have another chance of winning it. It will be a great pleasure for me to win another award.
Djeparov played a key role for Uzbekistan when they managed their highest-ever finish at an Asian Cup, placing fourth in the 2011 tournament.
Uzbek club Nasaf Qarshi also won the AFC Cup in 2011, in a big year for the game in the Central Asian nation.
Football in Uzbekistan has got much more support than before, Djeparov said.
