Bahrain emerged champions in the 2019 WAFF Championship and Gulf Cup and defeated Islamic Republic of Iran in Group C of the Asian Qualifiers to sit second in the standings before football was halted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

And with the Asian Qualifiers set to resume in June, Sousa believes their group rivals view the Reds in a different light, and that his side now hold an edge over their opponents.

Clubs from eight different countries have won it, clubs from four more have reached the final, and players from throughout the sprawling Asian map, and beyond, have made their names.

But who would you choose in an all-time AFC Cup XI? To celebrate the return of the competition in 2021, the-AFC.com is asking the football fans of Asia exactly that.

Mehdi Taremi took his dream run to the UEFA Champions League, Daichi Kamada brought down the world champions, and Takumi Minamino, Eldor Shomurodov and Takuma Asano were in goal-scoring form as the cream of the continent starred for their respective clubs.

But who was the standout performer? Peruse our 10-player shortlist based on performances from February 18 to 24, and don’t forget to cast your vote.

There are no women players among this week’s nominees due to the FIFA International Window.

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.

The Blue Tigers, who are in Group E of the Asian Qualifiers, will assemble in a preparatory camp in Dubai on March 15 before taking on Oman on March 25 and UAE four days later.

Júnior, 34, makes the switch to Chinese football after four years and 96 goals in Korean football, including 35 in all competitions for Ulsan Hyundai FC in 2020.

Shimoda, a former professional player, will lead Saigon in Group H of the 2021 AFC Cup, as well as the V.League 1, which is set to resume next month after it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.