If they are to reach the West Zonal Final for the second year running, Al Jazeera need to overturn a 3-0 disadvantage suffered in the first leg in Bahrain a week ago.

Al Jazeera were hopeful of taking home a result that could help them reach the West Zonal final for the second time running, but they faced the challenge of an Al Jaish side that had not lost in their last eight AFC Cup games.

The Jordanians started brightly and were in complete control for the first 25 minutes, threatening first through Abdullah Al Attar’s header which narrowly missed the target, then through Omar Al Manasrah’s long range strike.

The Lebanese side had stunned their hosts, defending resiliently and snatching a goal in the final quarter of an hour to earn a valuable 1-0 win in Amman on Monday.

Goalkeeper Mehdi Khalil starred as Al Ahed weathered a storm of attacks, and Al Wehdat striker Baha Faisal hit the woodwork, but it was Mohammad Kdouh who settled the match with a header to send his side into the second leg with a crucial lead.

Both sides looked to improve on their most recent AFC Cup campaigns. Al Ahed had been eliminated at the same stage last year whereas Al Wehdat suffered the same fate in 2017 and missed out on the 2018 AFC Cup.

Al Wehdat came racing out of the blocks, and within three minutes, they had their first sight of goal.

Nguyen Tien Linh scored 10 minutes from time to ensure the Vietnamese side will take a slender lead into the second leg in Indonesia next Wednesday.

The win was achieved despite Nguyen Thanh Son’s side being a player down for much of the second half after Nguyen Trun Tin was sent off.

Risto Vidakovic’s side took the lead through Bienvenido Marańon just before the hour mark, but the visitors returned fire through Senegalese forward Pape Omar Faye to earn a share of the spoils and a potentially vital away goal at Panaad Stadium.

The two sides will meet again at Hanoi’s Hang Day Stadium next Tuesday, with the winners to advance to the ASEAN Zonal final.