Preview - Ro16: Al Duhail SC (QAT) v Al Rayyan SC (QAT)

Al Duhail will enter the-all Qatar clash at the Al Thumama Stadium a team in form while Al Rayyan are involved in a relegation scrap domestically.

From heroic goalkeepers to prolific scorers to midfield maestros, the-AFC.com profiles the eight key players who could make the difference for their teams over the next round of match-ups.

The eight West Asian sides in action feature at the helm a diversity of tactical schools, with two Argentinians, a Chilean, a Spaniard, a Portuguese, a Greek and two local coaches from Islamic Republic of Iran and Uzbekistan in the hot seats in the Round of 16.

Maciej Skorza is no stranger to lifting trophies. Eight major domestic titles with four different clubs over 16 seasons is the mark of a man who knows how to win, whatever the environment.

A four-time Polish league champion with Wisla Krakow and Lech Poznan plus three Polish Cup successes, first with Dyskobolia and then back-to-back victories with Legia Warsaw, underline Skorza’s winning habit. A Super Cup with Lech Poznan fleshes out an impressive resume.

Over the past two decades of AFC Champions League history, no upset trumps Western Sydney Wanderers lifting the trophy in 2014 on their debut, while in the West, Al Ittihad won the 2004 edition on their debut, albeit so early in the competition’s history that most teams were making their first appearance.

Later in the competition's history, it needed something special for a team from outside the established elite to make a deep run on their debut. In celebration of Al Faisaly’s unlikely success this term, the-AFC.com remembers five impressive debutants.

Ahead of their upcoming encounter in Qatar, the-AFC.com relives five of the most memorable matches between the two powerhouses who have faced each other as many as 10 times since 2009.

Ahead of the heavyweight clash, the-AFC.com recounts three previous encounters between Qatar Stars League rivals in the AFC Champions League.

While the focus has shifted to the West side of the draw, there is no shortage of East Asian representation in the last-16 ties with five of the remaining teams, including the holders Al Hilal SFC, featuring players from the opposite side of the continent.

With the Round of 16 fixtures set to be played in Qatar on February 19 and 20, the-AFC.com profiles the stars from East Asia who could be crucial to their sides' chances in the West Asia leg of the continental showpiece.

The knockout fixture at Al Janoub Stadium may mark the Qarshi-based side’s first appearance in the Round of 16, but Nasaf have no shortage of pedigree when it comes to Asian club competitions, having lifted the AFC Cup™ in 2011.

And while the Tashkent trio of Pakhtakor, Bunyodkor and Lokomotiv have dominated domestically over the past two decades, Nasaf remain the only club from the Central Asian country who can lay claim to being a continental champion.

As Ruziqul Berdiev’s team prepare for the last 16 tie against the Riyadh giants, the-AFC.com looks back at Nasaf’s performances on the continent over the last 20 years.

Preview - Ro16: Al Duhail SC (QAT) v Al Rayyan SC (QAT)