Kuwait SC secured their place in the West Zonal semi-finals as Group C winners, thanks to Tunisian forward Ahmed Akaichi's 47th minute effort.

The result meant that Kuwait SC topped the group with seven points, one Al Faisaly. They will play Jordan's Al Salt in the West Zonal last four stage while Bahrain's Muharraq Club will face 2019 champions Al Ahed of Lebanon.

Muharraq came from a goal down to defeat Al Ansar 3-1 at the King Abdullah International Stadium thanks to goals from Sanad Saleh, Ismail Abdullatif and Tiago Real.

Muharraq, the 2008 AFC Cup winners, advanced to the West Zonal semi-finals after finishing on six points, the same with Al Salt but ahead on head-to-head after having beaten the Jordanian side 1-0 in their earlier encounter.

Tishreen finished third in the group with the Syrian side recording their first win in the competition thanks to a brace from Thaer Krouma and further goals from Bassel Moustafa, Kamel Koaeh and Mohammad Al Marmour.

Al Faisaly, who lost the final in 2018 against Al Ittihad, owed their win to Cape Verde forward Julio Tavares who starred with a hat-trick.

Star-studded hosts Korea Republic will undoubtedly begin as favourites, although Lebanon held the Taeguk Warriors earlier in the campaign while an ever-improving Turkmenistan already have points on the board, too. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, are still aiming to get off the mark.

With plenty to play for over what promises to be an action-packed two weeks, the-AFC.com shines the spotlight on the story so far, the teams and players involved, and much more.

With all teams having played five matches already with the exception of the UAE, who have played four, the group featuring four Southeast Asian sides remains wide open, making for a tasty viewing over the next three weeks. The-AFC.com previews the upcoming action and the players to watch ahead of the Qualifiers’ resumption on June 3.

With the action coming thick and fast over a two-week period during which teams will look to secure a place in the next round of qualifying, the-AFC.com shines the spotlight on some of the form players who will be representing their nations.