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.

Afrden Asqer
Afrden in 2024
Personal information
Date of birth (2003-09-15) 15 September 2003 (age 21)[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
0000–2017 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)
2020China U19 (loan) 8 (3)
2021China U20 (loan) 3 (0)
2021Suzhou Dongwu (loan) 24 (2)
2023Mjällby 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)

Club career

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Early career

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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

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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

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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

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Club

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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

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  1. ^ 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

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  1. ^ "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.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ "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.
  4. ^ "Välkommen till Mjällby AIF, Afrden Asqer!" [Welcome to Mjällby AIF, Afrden Asqer!]. www.maif.se (in Swedish). 29 March 2023. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
  5. ^ "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.
  6. ^ "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.
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ Afrden Asqer at Soccerway