Bangladesh are scheduled to play Nepal in two friendlies next month and it will be Day’s first opportunity to gauge his players since January, with international football having been halted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

East Asia faces West Asia in the first of our Round of 16 match-ups as South China AA's former Hong Kong international Chan Siu Ki goes up against Lebanese star Mohamad Haidar from Safa SC.

JDT's rise has been remarkable. They recently won their seventh successive Malaysia Super League title and in the past two Continental campaigns have claimed scalps such as former Asian champions Kashima Antlers and Suwon Samsung Bluewings, the latter at their sparkling new 40,000-capacity Sultan Ibrahim Stadium.

However, it was five years ago today – October 31, 2015 – that they enjoyed what remains arguably the greatest night in their history as the Southern Tigers became the first team from Southeast Asia to taste AFC Cup glory after defeating Tajikistan's FC Istiklol 1-0 in Dushanbe to write their name into the history books.

Rewind the clock back eight years and re-watch the 2012 AFC Champions League title-winning campaign of Ulsan Hyundai and it's a certain blonde bombshell who stands out: Lee Keun-ho’s shocking platinum locks were always designed to attract attention.

It's as if the mercurial midfielder’s trickery and talent weren’t enough, the straw-coloured mop buzzing throughout the Continental competition certainly caught the eye.

Football in the South Asian nation has been part of the sporting calendar for well over a century, with the country being home to several of Asia's most historic clubs. In recent years, the emergence of the ISL has led to a number of sides from all across India springing into existence as football has moved into an exciting new era.

Taking into account history, fanbase and recent success, the-AFC.com has selected five teams as India's most popular clubs and asks you, the fans, to vote for your favouritie.

The title was Al Muharraq’s third in the competition, having previously won in 2005 and 2009 as Marcus Paqueta’s side made up for losing the league title race to Al Hidd.

Both Asian teams - who met in the AFC U23 Championship Thailand 2020 final which Korea Republic won - are preparing for the delayed Tokyo Olympic Games.