The Australian striker’s 62nd-minute equaliser gave the Indian side the point they needed to advance as Group D winners, setting up a clash against the Central Asian zonal champions in next month’s Inter-Zone semi-finals

Bashundhara had looked to be on the way to a momentous victory when Brazilian midfielder Fernandes put them ahead just before the half-hour mark, but the momentum swung ATK Mohun Bagan’s way after Sushanto Tripura was sent off in the dying seconds of the first half.

Bashundhara, needing to win to advance, took the lead in the 28th minute through Fernandes’ right-footed effort but the Bangladesh champions then suffered a blow with Sushanto Tripura being sent off just before half-time.

ATK Mohun Bagan capitalised in the second half with David Williams equalising in the 62nd minute.

The result meant that undefeated ATK Mohun Bagan completed their Group D campaign with seven points, while Bashundhara made their exit with five points.

As the Mariners now look ahead to September's meeting with either Uzbekistan's FC Nasaf or Turkmenistan's FC Ahal, and the three eliminated teams aim to come back stronger in 2022, the-AFC.com looks at the key takeaways from Group D.

Bengaluru dominated from the start to lead 3-0 up at half-time, before Maziya found the net twice but the Indian Super League side powered to victory as Pezzaiuoli's side finished third in the standings with four points with Maziya ending their campaign with three defeats.

Over the coming days, the-AFC.com will break down each of the 12 nations still standing, their key men and what it all means in the context of history as they vie for a ticket to the greatest show on earth.

A true powerhouse of the Asian game, Islamic Republic of Iran are targeting a third successive FIFA World Cup appearance and their exceptional strike force makes them one of the favourites to qualify.

While AFC Asian Cup holders Qatar have already claimed a place as the FIFA World Cup hosts, the top two nations in each of the continent’s two qualifying groups will also advance to the Finals while the third-placed finishers will enter into a playoff to potentially claim a further spot for Asia.

Here we take a look at the prospects of Japan, the top seeds in Group B and habitual qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup.

Over the past two weeks we have seen the goalkeeper and the defenders in front of him decided, so now it's time to turn our attention to the midfield and find out who you consider the main men in the middle.

So, here are the 10 players in contention for our places in the centre of the park. Review the candidates and then select your favourite for this all-star XI in the poll below.