These permanent fixtures in a fan’s memory bank can be lodged there thanks to a glorious last-minute winner, a sterling come-from-behind victory or – in the case of Islamic Republic of Iran icon Ali Daei – a superb virtuoso display.

Midway through 1996 Daei, then aged 27, had only scored seven of his eventual 109 goals for his country, but the next six months would produce 22 international goals, including one of the greatest individual performances in the history of Asian football.

A perfect five wins from five games has marked Syria out not only as the leaders of Group A ahead of China PR but sees the West Asian nation stand tallest across the entirety of the qualifying phase with the best return to date.

But while a long list of Dutch stars have become household names, the country also has a history of welcoming some of Asia’s outstanding players.

From 1980s pioneers like Huh Jung-moo and Fandi Ahmad to the stars of the modern game, the Eredivisie has played host to some of the continent’s best and brightest, making it a league of interest for generations of Asian fans.

Our list features several title winners and a league top goal scorer, but which of these icons deserves the title of Asia’s best?

Here are our nominees:

The time was March, 2005 when 15-year-old Amiri and his parents — then refugees in Pakistan — returned to the Afghanistan capital Kabul for a cousin's wedding. He was then an adoring fan of Manchester United rising star Cristiano Ronaldo, while his cousin was playing with local club Shoa FC.

We kicked off last week's showcase with five fantastic free-kicks, and now we turn to some stunning strikes from distance that span the Continent from Kyrgz Republic to Vietnam.

New Zealand, triumphant in the OFC Qualifiers, awaited the winners between 2007 AFC Asian Cup runners-up Saudi Arabia and their neighbours Bahrain who had come within a whisker of reaching the FIFA World Cup in their previous attempt four years earlier.

The focal point of Iran’s qualification for France 98 has often been the climax against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and the 2-2 draw that broke Australian hearts, when goals from Karim Bagheri and Khodadad Azizi earned the Iranians a 3-3 aggregate tie and a ticket for the FIFA World Cup on the away goals rule.

But a little less than three weeks earlier the former Costa Rica coach jumped aboard the Team Melli rollercoaster for a ride he and football fans around Asia would never forget.