The draw means it is Uzbekistan’s FC Nasaf who lead the group after Matchday One, having beaten Kyrgyz Republic’s FC Alay 4-0 in the opening match. Altyn Asyr next face Alay on Monday while Khujand play Nasaf later on the same day.

Playing in their first competitive match in nearly six months, the Turkmenistan title holders suffered a major setback when Berdimyrat Rejebov was shown a straight red card after 17 minutes but managed to avoid defeat thanks largely to a first-half brace from star striker Altymyrat Annadurdyyev.

Having reached half-time level at 2-2, Altyn Asyr had to survive the final few minutes of the clash with just nine men following Mekan Saparov’s second yellow card but managed to avoid defeat against the group hosts.

Appearing in the tournament for the first time since winning it a decade ago, the Uzbek outfit were in command from the opening whistle but took until the 53rd minute to take the lead through substitute Sukhrob Nurulloev.

Nurulloev’s goal proved to be the turning point, with Shohmalik Komilov, Khusain Norchaev and Khusniddin Alikulov all subsequently getting on the scoresheet in a match where Nasaf had 33 shots at goal.

Absent from continental competition since 2014, and still a second division club in their home country until the end of last season, Ravshan struggled to get to grips with their opponents early, falling behind to a pair of Elman Tagayev goals within the opening 20 minutes.

Half-time substitutions and a Daler Shomurodov penalty got the Kulob club back into the contest after half-time, but Gurban Annayev’s 63rd-minute goal put the contest to bed, meaning Ravshan could be eliminated even before their second and final group stage match next Thursday.

The 32-year-old former Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper revealed he was quitting the international scene due to family commitments and the challenges created by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The new schedule means Hajime Moriyasu’s side will play five matches in 19 days from May 28 to June 15, with three games for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC Asian Cup China 2023 also on during that period.

The former Barcelona maestro, who has battled back to action after a serious thigh injury, inked the two-year deal on Tuesday, his 37th birthday.