الارشيف كأس الاتحاد الآسيوي 2021

As fans of Asian football start to look towards next year, the-AFC.com brings the curtain down on the 2021 AFC Cup by reviewing some of the finest goals scored in the continental competition.

Enjoy our 10 nominees for the best goal of the tournament and then vote for your favourite at the bottom of the article.

As ever, there were many memorable moments from the continental competition, and the-AFC.com shines the spotlight on some of the standout statistics from the 2021 AFC Cup.

While addressing the AFC Executive Committee on November 21, 2021, AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa said: “I am pleased to note that the AFC competitions continue to grow. There will be changes to the rules on foreign players, as well as to our competitions calendar. These are all part of the strategy to improve our players, clubs and national teams on the world stage.”

Playing in front of a capacity crowd at Sheikh Ali bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, Nasaf came into the final off the back of a six-match winning run in the competition, but faced the challenge of a Muharraq side that had not conceded a single goal in the knockout stage, downing reigning champions Al Ahed 3-0 and three-time winners Kuwait SC 2-0.

Shaikh Salman said: “On behalf of the Asian football family, I must congratulate Muharraq Club for their incredible consistency and steadfast perseverance in securing the coveted AFC Cup 2021 title.

“Credit must also be given to everyone at the club, from the backroom staff to the coaches for working tirelessly behind the scenes and I am sure that this victory will inspire the club towards greater achievements in the future.

The midfielder played a sterling part in the Bahraini side winning the AFC Cup for a second time with his consistent performances throughout a season which they capped with a dominant 3-0 win over Uzbekistan's FC Nasaf in the final.

Al Maloud started every one of Muharraq’s seven matches in the 2021 AFC Cup, topping the competition’s assist charts, setting up six goals for his teammates, including Mahmoud Al Mardi’s opening goal in the final.

The 19-year-old entered the history books becoming the youngest player in the competition’s history to be named top scorer, breaking the record of Shabab Al Ordon’s Odai Al Saify, who was the 2007 AFC Cup joint top scorer with five goals aged 21.

Norchaev became the first Uzbek to win the AFC Cup top scorer award and the second Nasaf player after Montenegrin striker Ivan Boskovic in 2011.

Summer recruit Mahmoud Al Mardi curled an effort from distance to open the scoring for Muharraq after just three minutes in front of a large crowd at Sheikh Ali bin Mohammed Al Khalifa Stadium. The Bahrainis kept their concentration to see off an avalanche of Uzbek attacks throughout the next hour.

Nasaf’s Khusain Norchaev is the competition’s leading scorer, with seven strikes to his name, and he will look to continue his stunning form in the grand finale and etch his name into the history books.

Over the years, the final has seen some standout individual performances, with career-defining goals living long in the memory. Ahead of Friday's showdown, the-AFC.com looks back at five players who left their mark when it mattered most.