First-half fireworks gave Tractor a commanding 3-0 lead after 45 minutes, before Esteghlal came charging back into contention with a valiant, but ultimately futile second-half comeback.

Tractor’s win earned them their first trophy since their previous Hazfi Cup win in 2014, with head coach Saket Elhami – who was sent off from the field during the match – leading them to silverware in his first season in charge.

Having highlighted many of the standout Asian performers over the past few months, this week the-AFC.com has picked out eight international stars who have helped light up the tournament since arriving at clubs across the Continent.

With candidates from South America, Europe and Africa, there is considerable talent in our selection. So, review the list and vote for your favourite at the bottom of the article.

After the first semi-final garnered more than 100,000 votes and five players progressed to next week's final, the-AFC.com brings you more fabulous goals from the years between 2010 and 2019.

Featuring a range of delightful chips, teams goals, long-range screamers and much more, enjoy the trip down memory lane and don't forget to vote for your favourite at the bottom of the article. The top five will advance to next week's grand finale.

In the latest edition of the AFC’s GameChangers series – which tells inspiring stories from women’s football in Asia – we meet the 23-year-old whose passion has taken her from northern Pakistan to Paris and Milan; and for whom the game provides a window to so much more.

Murod Khalmukhamedov's strike ultimately decided the contest, with the defender converting a 67th-minute penalty kick after Uzbek debutant Shahzodbek Ubaydullayev’s earlier strike had been cancelled out by a Zoir Juraboev equaliser.

Played behind closed doors, the match was the first senior international fixture held anywhere in Asia since March.

Qatar’s invitation is a direct result of the Memorandum of Understanding that the AFC and Concacaf signed in Bahrain in May 2017 and the AFC President and FIFA Senior Vice President, Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, said: “On behalf of the AFC and the entire Asian football family, I thank the Concacaf President Victor Montagliani and the Concacaf Members for extending this invitation.

Mombaerts led Melbourne to their first-ever A-League Grand Final on Sunday, where they lost to Sydney FC, having also steered the club to a second place finish in the A-League Premiership standings and qualification for the 2021 edition of the AFC Champions League.

The Frenchman cited family reasons for his return to his homeland after spending 14 months working in the A-League.