The Malaysian domestic season, meanwhile, is set to kick off on March 5 after being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Join the-AFC.com as we review the ASEAN domestic action.

As the kick-off date for the historic 2021 edition approaches, the-AFC.com looks back at the 2020 tournament which turned out to be a thrilling affair despite the challenging circumstances.

We kicked off the series in style, with fans voting Persepolis FC's Mehdi Abdi Qara as the winner of Best Headers of 2020. Our next installment looks at the fabulous goals scored from free-kicks and invite you, the fan, to tell us which was your favourite.

Incepted in 1974, the Iraqi Premier League has its fair share of derbies that set the adrenaline pumping with fans eager for their team to claim bragging rights.

Vitaliy Levchenko’s men prevailed 1-0 over FC Khatlon thanks to a last gasp winner from Ukrainian defender Oleksiy Larin, whose strike in the fourth minute of added time sealed a sixth FFT Cup title for Istiklol.

The match was played in front of a 5,000-strong crowd at Dushanbe’s Central Republican Stadium, with fans of both sides turning out in numbers at the dawn of a promising new season for Tajik football.

Hailing from a uniquely passionate footballing nation but - with a few notable exceptions - one which has tended to keep its top players on home soil, Indonesia’s youth brigade of 2021 is travelling far and wide in a bid to enhance their prospects of stardom.

So, who are these ambitious youngsters, where are they playing, and what should we expect?

Join the-AFC.com as we profile eight Indonesian players abroad aged 21 or younger – five based in Europe and three in Asia – and let us know which one has the greatest potential.

Marc Klok, Persija Jakarta’s Dutch-Indonesian midfielder, has walked the same path, only in reverse, and is well-positioned to analyse the pressures and possibilities Indonesia’s youngsters will soon grow accustomed to.

In a wide-ranging interview, Klok reveals the benefits of breaking through one’s comfort zone, Bagus Kahfi’s chances of thriving in his former home of Utrecht and his own triumphs and struggles as a footballer navigating a lost year, but with an eye on a bright future

Abdikholikov makes the switch from to Rukh Uzbekistan Super League outfit FC Nasaf, putting pen to paper on a three-year contract. He will wear the number 16 shirt.

The 23-year-old arrives in Ukraine after a 112-game, 45-goal stint in the Uzbek top flight, including 17 goals in 25 league matches last season; a tally which made him the second highest scorer in the league behind Pakhtakor’s Dragan Ćeran.