We’re not done yet. That is a mantra that Nam Tae-hee likes to repeat in every interview since Al Duhail reached the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League. Those words will undoubtedly worry quite a few of Asia’s best teams. 

The Korea Republic midfield wizard has been a vital cog in the Al Duhail juggernaut that has had a stunning run in the 2017-18 season. During the past year, the Doha side remained undefeated to win Qatar Stars League, completed a domestic treble and won all of their eight matches in the AFC Champions League to breeze through to the quarter-finals. 

The team’s unprecedented success is even more captivating as they are technically a new club that has just turned a year old, having been formed in the summer of 2017 following the dissolution of El Jaish and its merger with Lekhwiya. Few could have predicted the way they have taken Asian football by storm this year.

“The AFC Quarterly is the confederation's latest effort to reach out to the millions of passionate fans of Asian football and put on splendid display the game’s glorious achievements,” said AFC Acting President Zhang Jilong. “The biggest endeavour of this magazine is to make household names of our players and put the spotlight on our many competitions, which produce countless moments of top-notch football entertainment.”AFC Player of the Year Lee Keun-ho from Korea Republic is the cover star of the inaugural edition, which also features interviews with 2007 AFC Asian Cup winning striker Younus Mahmood, Olympic bronze medal-winning coach Hong Myung-bo, and Uzbek legend Mirdjalal Kasimov.

Belmadi led the Doha-based club to three domestic titles - Qatar Stars League, Qatar Cup and Emir Cup - in 2018, becoming the first Qatari club to achieve the feat, as well as securing a spot in the 2018 AFC Champions League quarter-finals courtesy of eight successive victories.

Al Duhail, who lifted the Emir Cup on Saturday to add to the Qatar Stars League and Qatar Cup titles won earlier, have carried their domestic form onto the continental stage.

They are on the brink of an AFC Champions League record, having scored eight victories en route to qualifying for the quarter-finals and will surely be the team to avoid in Wednesday's draw in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The hosts wasted no time in taking full control and were rewarded with a goal inside 11 minutes when Nam Tae-hee advanced down the left and sent a low ball across the goalmouth that was inadvertently converted by defender Mohamed Ahmad past his own goalkeeper.

Al Duhail doubled their tally at the half-hour mark through Youssef El Arabi who stabbed in Ismail Mohammad’s powerful cross from the right flank.

Very little changed after the break as the Qataris continued to attack in numbers and soon found the net for a third time. El Arabi sent defender Sultan Al Brake through on goal and the latter attempted to lob goalkeeper Khalid Eisa who was able to get his fingertips on the ball before it fell for Mohammad who tapped into the empty net in the 54th minute.

Al Duhail fans breathed a sigh of relief as the final whistle at the Lokomotiv Stadium in Tashkent confirmed a hard-fought win for their side. Two goals from Youssef El Arabi had brought them from the brink of a first defeat in the competition to seal their passage into the 2018 AFC Champions League knockout stage with two matches to spare.

The result also meant Djamel Belmadi's men can join an elite group of clubs to win all six AFC Champions League group stage matches in a season, should they achieve victories against Zobahan and Al Wahda in April.

Al Duhail head coach Djamel Belmadi handed starts to a number of youngsters and one of them almost repaid his trust in the 21st minute. Abdullah Al Ahrak had a free header following Mourad Naji's cross, but it was saved by Al Wahda keeper Mohamed Al Shamsi.

The reply from the visitors came through star man Balazs Dzsudzsak, who produced two brilliant attempts in the space of one minute. First, the Hungarian sent a scorching effort at goal from 30 yards out, and then, he tried to curl one in directly from a corner. However, Amine Lecomte was alert on both occasions to keep the ball out.

The hosts were handed an advantage in the 39th minute when Al Wahda defender Salem Sultan was sent off after pulling down Youssef El Arabi who was through on goal.

The victory was the Doha side’s eighth in a row on the continent and 20th in all competitions as the Qatar Stars League champions followed their 4-2 first leg win with an equally resounding performance as they continue to sweep all challengers aside.

Moroccan international El Arabi opened the scoring last week in Al Ain and the striker added another two to his tally at Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium to mean he is now the tournament’s joint top scorer on nine goals.