Al Taawoun resumed their ACL campaign on the back of consecutive defeats, but were able to squeeze into the Round of 16 for the first time, courtesy of Duke’s header in their final Group C tie against Al Duhail, eliminating the Qatari champions on a better head-to-head record.

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.

This week’s poll includes history makers, goal machines and players helping unheralded clubs to previously unimagined heights, but who deserves the title of AFC International Player of the Week?

From eight AFC nations, here are our 10 contenders based on performances from October 21 to 27.

Last week we presented the candidates for the 2020 edition's best goalkeeper, and now we shine the spotlight on the players who will make up the backline.

So, here are the 14 players in contention for the four places in defence. Review the nominees and then choose your favourite defenders for this all-star XI in the respective polls.

The 21-year-old is with English League One outfit Ipswich Town, where he's been playing since 2015.

Folami has been a regular in Australia's junior sides and was a member of the squad who finished third in the AFC U23 Championship Thailand 2020, which earned them a berth at the Tokyo Olympics.

Renato Augusto and Cedric Bakambu both hit the woodwork in the first half while Wei Shihao forced a fine save out of Beijing goalkeeper Hou Sen in the dying minutes to leave the game scoreless after the opening 90 minutes.

The pair meet again on Monday with the winners facing either Jiangsu Suning or Shanghai SIPG in the Chinese Super League decider next month.

Also Try:

The Asian Football Quiz: Round 1, Round 2, Round 3, Round 4, Round 5, Round 6, Round 7, Round 8, Round 9, Round 10, Round 11, Round 12, Round 13, Round 14, Round 15, Round 16, Round 17, Round 18, Round 19, Round 20, Round 21, Round 22, Round 23. Round 24, Round 25, Round 26