These days 2017 ASEAN Zonal champions and 2018 ASEAN Zonal runners-up Ceres Negros are considered to be one of the strongest teams in the AFC Cup.

However, back at the beginning of the 2017 AFC Cup campaign they were not counted among the contenders to be crowned inaugural ASEAN champions, with most looking to 2015 AFC Cup winners JDT, the Southern Tigers, as a likelier candidate to be crowned Southeast Asian kings.

Persija have endured a difficult start to the season - domestic as well as international - with the club already eliminated from the 2019 AFC Cup and languishing third from bottom in the domestic league.

While the qualification race remains ongoing in the Central, South and East Zones, the-AFC.com looks back at some of the key statistics from the six completed groups.

With the Group G game scoreless and the clock ticking down, Binh Duong were heading for elimination until Brazilian forward Wander Luiz struck a goal of the tournament contender from 40 yards that looped ove goalkeeper Roland Muller to secure their place in the next round.

Nguyen Thanh Son’s side needed a win to claim the best runners-up berth in the Asean Zonal Semi-finals but looked set to exit the competition as they struggled to find the back of the net against the already-qualified Filipinos.

But the Brazilian’s 88th minute strike – which saw him lift the ball over home goalkeeper Roland Muller with an audacious effort from almost 40 yards out – earned Binh Duong three points that ensured they squeezed past Singapore’s Tampines Rovers to stay alive in the competition.

The Filipino champions made it five wins from as many games to book their place in the ASEAN Zonal semi-finals for the third year running, confirming their position as one of the region’s most dominant teams.

Marañon, who has scored in each of his side’s five wins, now has nine goals in this year’s competition, just one shy of his tally from last year.