With five AFC Cup titles between them, Al Faisaly and Kuwait SC are the most successful clubs present in the current edition, but the two sides have never met in the competition.

Both sides are already eliminated from the competition ahead of their final game, but pride and a historic first-ever AFC Cup win are at stake as Group C concludes in the Jordanian capital Amman.

Tishreen started their journey in style, showing character and determination to come back from behind on three occasions and earn a 3-3 draw against the competition’s record winners Kuwait SC on Matchday One.

Earlier in the day, Lebanon’s Al Ansar face Bahrain’s Muharraq Club in the other Matchday Three encounter, and with all four teams level on three points, head-to-head results and goal-difference will make every bit of difference with the group winners as well as the best runners-up from the three West Zone groups progressing to the Zonal semi-finals.

Neighbours Al Salt and Balata Center, located less than 150 miles apart, are both competing in their first AFC Cup campaign, with the Jordanian side gaining promotion to the top division for the first time in their history in 2018-19 and the Palestinians winning their first-ever Palestine Pro League title in 2020.

Muharraq have managed a win and a loss so far, as have each of the other three sides in the group including Al Ansar, making for a mouthwatering final matchday for the group with all four teams standing a shot at winning the group.

The two sides have met previously in Group A of the 2008 AFC Cup, with the first game ending in a goalless draw and the second ending with an emphatic 4-1 victory for eventual champions Muharraq.

Runaway leaders Japan would need to suffer an unprecedented collapse on home soil to squander top spot, but the race for second is well and truly alive, with Tajikistan, Kyrgyz Republic and Myanmar all battling for the chance to advance as one of the best runners-up.

Dreams are at stake on the road to FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC Asian Cup China 2023, and we’ve got all you need to know about the matches ahead, including the venues, state of play and the key men to keep an eye on.

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.

As fans prepare for the resumption of the second round of qualifying, the-AFC.com winds the clock back to campaigns of years gone by, which have thrown up some of the most memorable matches in Asian football history.