Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: We are a step closer to determining the AFC Cup 2017 Champions following Ceres Negros' triumph in the AFC Cup 2017 ASEAN Zonal Final on Wednesday.
There is, however, still plenty of action to savour before the AFC Cup 2017 Champions are crowned and the-AFC.com takes a look at the cast who are set to provide the Continent with heady excitement which will climax with the Final on November 4.
As the Knockout Stage fixtures show, the road to the Final is filled with challenges as the cast consists of teams who have worked hard to earn their places.
Ceres Negros of the Philippines were deserving winners in the AFC Cup 2017 ASEAN Zonal Final, overcoming a 1-2 deficit from the first leg to beat Singapore's Home United 2-0 in Wednesday's return leg at the Pana-ad Park and Football Stadium in Bacolod City.
The victory earned them a meeting with FC Istiklol in the first of the Inter-Zone Playoffs (Semi-finals) which the Tajikistan side will host on August 22. The return leg is on September 12.
The second Inter-Zone Playoffs will see India's JSW Bengaluru FC, last year's runners-up, going head-to-head with DPR Korea's 4.25 SC. Bengaluru will host the first leg on August 23 with the return tie on September 13
The respective winners of the Inter-Zone Playoffs (Semi-finals) will meet in the Inter-Zone Playoffs (Finals) on September 27 and October 18 for the right to play in the November 4 Final.
They will play either Al Wahda of Syria or 2016 Champions Air Force Club of Iraq, who meet in what will be an exciting West Zonal Final on September 12 and 26.