Both sides looked to improve on their most recent AFC Cup campaigns. Al Ahed had been eliminated at the same stage last year whereas Al Wehdat suffered the same fate in 2017 and missed out on the 2018 AFC Cup.

Al Wehdat came racing out of the blocks, and within three minutes, they had their first sight of goal.

Ceres progressed to the knockout rounds for the fourth year running by topping Group G after five successive wins to advance with a game to spare.

Hanoi, meanwhile, needed a Matchday Six victory over Tampines Rovers to leapfrog the Singaporean side and win Group F by the narrowest of margins.

Inaugural AFC Cup winners in 2004, Al Jaish reached the quarter-final stage in 2015 and 2016, but since the introduction of the Zonal knock-out stages in 2017, the Syrians have not progressed past the group stage.

The Southeast Asian nation has achieved considerable success at international level over the past year, with the Golden Stars winning the 2018 AFF (ASEAN Football Federation) Cup and then reaching the quarter-finals of the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019.

Hanoi, the reigning V.League champions, boast a side replete with national team players who have played key roles in the country’s improvement and Senegalese forward Faye is quick to point out the impact they have had in helping the club progress to the ASEAN Zonal semi-finals.

The four teams battle for a ticket to the AFC Cup final, starting with the first leg of the semi-finals, where Al Wehdat of Jordan host Lebanon's Al Ahed on Monday, while Syria's Al Jaish play Jordan's Al Jazeera on Tuesday.

The return fixtures take place the following week with the two winners facing off in the two-legged Zonal Final in September and October. The West Asia champions get a ticket to the 2019 AFC Cup final.

We look at four players - one from each of the semi-finalists - who could prove to be the difference-makers.

The two-legged semi-finals will kick off on Tuesday and Wednesday with the return legs the following week. The two victors will progress to the ASEAN Zonal Final a month later to determine who is the 2019 AFC Cup's Southeast Asia champion.

We look at four players - one from each of the semi-finalists - who could prove to be the difference-makers.

Al Jazeera and Al Ahed are back in this stage for the second year in a row, while Al Wehdat are back at the Zonal Semi-Finals for a second time after 2017. Champions in 2004, Al Jaish have not played at this stage since its introduction two season ago.