Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: It’s do or die in the Central and South Zones of the AFC Cup on Wednesday with four teams fighting it out for two Inter-Zone Semi-final places, while the Group Stage action in the East Zone also draws to a close.
Groups D and E remain on a knife-edge with the top two sides in each facing off in winner-takes-all encounters. The three-team Group I, meanwhile, has already been decided ahead of the one remaining fixture.
Group D
Tajikistan’s FC Istiklol and Altyn Asyr of Turkmenistan have remained neck and neck throughout the Group D campaign and sit on 13 points apiece with the victor in Dushanbe on Wednesday to progress to the Inter-Zone Semi-finals.
FC Istiklol, who welcome Amirbek Juraboev back from suspension, boast the superior goal difference and would progress with a 1-1 or scoreless draw. A high-scoring draw, though, would see the Turkmens advance but they are without suspended duo Altymyrat Annadurdyyev and Akmyrat Jumanazarov.
Elsewhere, FC Alay welcome Dordoi FC in an all Kyrgyz Republic affair with the hosts looking for their first points of the tournament. Alia Sylla’s sending off last week leaves the forward out for the home side, while Kursanbek Sheratov returns for the visitors.