Two superb goals from Nguyen Quang Hai looked to have gone to waste when Altymyrat Annadurdyyev’s equaliser brought the visitors level in the second half, but substitute Van Quyet netted the winning spot-kick in the 88th minute to give the Vietnamese champions a slight edge in the two-legged tie.

The result leaves the tie finely balanced ahead of next Tuesday’s return leg in Ashgabat, with the winners to advance to next month’s Inter-Zone Play-off Final.

The two-legged tie, with the return clash coming next week in Pyongyang, will see the winners progress to the Inter-Zone final in mid-September.

The two teams go head-to-head in the first leg at Dhaka's Bangabandhu National Stadium on Wednesday with head coach Mario Lemos saying six-time Bangladesh Premier League champions Abahani determined to continue their fairy-tale run in the AFC Cup.

It is the first time a club from Bangladesh has progressed to the AFC Cup's Inter-Zone Semi-finals but Lemos said they are not yet satisfied.

It may be a first meeting between the two sides but O said his team's lack of familiarity isn't a concern as 4.25 are confident of their abilities.

The DPR Korea side's AFC Cup pedigree is unquestionable as this is their third consecutive appearance in the Inter-Zone Semi-finals, a record which puts them on a firm footing against an Abahani side making their first appearance at this stage of the tournament.

The South and East Zonal winners face off in the first leg at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka on Wednesday and the Abahani players are raring to continue from where they left off in the group stage.

The six-time Bangladesh Premier League champions advanced with a record of four wins, one draw and one defeat to reach their first AFC Cup Inter-Zone Semi-final and striker Nabib Newaj Ziban said this has whetted their appetite for more success.

Ahead to the two match-ups, the-AFC.com has selected four players who have the potential to light up the ties and help guide their sides into the Inter-Zone Final.

The games see Vietnam’s Hanoi FC up against Turkmenistan’s Altyn Asyr and Abahani Limited Dhaka of Bangladesh face DPR Korea’s 4.25 SC as the Zonal champions from the ASEAN, Central, South and East square off. 

With this Inter-Zone format only in its third year since the AFC Cup was remodelled, the-AFC.com looks back at the four previous match-ups from this stage of the Continental competition.