Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: The AFC Cup is set to have a new name engraved on it with tournament debutants FC Istiklol of Tajikistan taking on Malaysian league champions Johor Darul Ta’zim in the 2015 final at the Republican Central Stadium in Dushanbe on Saturday.
Both teams faced deficits in the second legs of their semi-finals against Kuwait Sporting Club and Qadsia SC but FIFA’s suspension of the Kuwait Football Association on October 16 meant that the two Kuwaiti clubs were no longer eligible to compete in this year’s tournament. Thus, Istiklol and JDT were given walk-over victories and advanced to the final.
So for the first time in the 12-year history of the AFC Cup, the final will not feature a Middle Eastern side as Istiklol and JDT look to make history for their respective countries in the continental tournament.
AFC Cup 2015 - The Road to the Final: FC Istiklol
AFC Cup 2015 - The Road to the Final: Johor Darul Ta'zim
Hosts Istiklol have already won an Asian club title, winning the 2012 AFC President’s Cup but few would have expected the 2014 Tajik double winners to make such a dramatic impact on their first appearance in the AFC Cup.
Tajik clubs had previously struggled in the competition but after suffering a 3-1 loss to Iraqi side Arbil in their home opener, Istiklol went unbeaten in their next seven games which included a 2-0 win over defending champions Qadsia.
A 4-0 home win over JDT’s Malaysian league rivals Pahang FA in the first leg of the quarter-finals secured their place in the last four and although they suffered a rare meltdown in their semi-final against Kuwait SC, the suspension of the Kuwaiti club made that defeat academic.
For Johor Darul Ta’zim, their second appearance in the AFC Cup is in stark contrast to their debut in 2009 when they took only one point from six games.
www.the-afc.com/en/more/photo/jdt_ayeyawady_r16_8x4_jpg_1.html
