The Committee for The National Teams and Technical Affairs approved the first stage of the preparation programme after coordinating with the technical staff led by new head coach Jorge Luis Pinto.

The Team Melli hotshot was the Player of the Match on the day of Zenit’s coronation, netting the opening goal in the fifth minute, then adding a second shortly after half time as Sergey Semak’s side beat Krasnodar 4-2, extending their lead over second placed Lokomotiv Moscow to an insurmountable 13 points with four matches remaining.

In Korea Republic, K League leaders Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors dropped points for only the second time this season after defeat to Sangju Sangmu to allow Ulsan Hyundai to close the gap to just a point after they saw off Incheon United.

Unbeaten Saigon are back on top in Vietnam, while the leagues in both Cambodia and Mongolia also returned in recent days, so join the-AFC.com as we review the latest from East Asia and ASEAN.

However, with a draw and two wins - including a 2-1 defeat of India - they won a group which also featured Nepal and Bangladesh. The Southeast Asians impressed in the ensuing second round last year, going three matches undefeated to run out the section winners and reach the third round for the first time.

The 2017 AFC Champions League was full of thrills and spills with breathtaking matches and standout performers and now, after taking a trip down memory lane in recent weeks, we present the 'Dream Team' as voted by you, the fans.

Below are the 11 players who made the cut on the public polls on the-AFC.com, while an XI by OPTA, the official statistics provider for the AFC, is also included as a comparison.

In a second semi-final featuring 10 more Asian World Cup classics, this week’s selection features some of the continent’s all-time greats, all delivering moments of magic on the game’s biggest stage.

There are fabulous free-kicks, blistering breakaways and scorchers from distance, but which five goals will advance to next week’s final?

Cast your vote below from our list of nominees:

From scenes in Singapore to joy in Jakarta and incredible climaxes in Guwahati, Hisor and Al Wakrah, our latest edition shines the spotlight on the magical moments that help make the beautiful game the most watched sport in the world.

Also take a look at past editions that feature acrobatic goals, solo goals, volleys, long-range screamers and free-kicks.