However, with a draw and two wins - including a 2-1 defeat of India - they won a group which also featured Nepal and Bangladesh. The Southeast Asians impressed in the ensuing second round last year, going three matches undefeated to run out the section winners and reach the third round for the first time.

The Team Melli hotshot was the Player of the Match on the day of Zenit’s coronation, netting the opening goal in the fifth minute, then adding a second shortly after half time as Sergey Semak’s side beat Krasnodar 4-2, extending their lead over second placed Lokomotiv Moscow to an insurmountable 13 points with four matches remaining.

In the very early hours of Friday, June 26, members of Australia and New Zealand’s ‘As One’ bid team sat in silent anticipation at Football Federation Australia’s Sydney headquarters.

Silent anticipation became palpable tension as the wait went on, but it would soon be replaced with an outpouring of joy, thanks to a single sentence delivered half a world away by Gianni Infantino.

The 2017 AFC Champions League was full of thrills and spills with breathtaking matches and standout performers and now, after taking a trip down memory lane in recent weeks, we present the 'Dream Team' as voted by you, the fans.

Below are the 11 players who made the cut on the public polls on the-AFC.com, while an XI by OPTA, the official statistics provider for the AFC, is also included as a comparison.

In a second semi-final featuring 10 more Asian World Cup classics, this week’s selection features some of the continent’s all-time greats, all delivering moments of magic on the game’s biggest stage.

There are fabulous free-kicks, blistering breakaways and scorchers from distance, but which five goals will advance to next week’s final?

Cast your vote below from our list of nominees:

From scenes in Singapore to joy in Jakarta and incredible climaxes in Guwahati, Hisor and Al Wakrah, our latest edition shines the spotlight on the magical moments that help make the beautiful game the most watched sport in the world.

Also take a look at past editions that feature acrobatic goals, solo goals, volleys, long-range screamers and free-kicks.

We're just one position away from finding out who you want as your best Asian team at the FIFA World Cup. The best goalkeeper has been decided, as has your defence and the midfield in front of them, so now it's time to find the men to lead the line up front.

So, without further ado, here are the six players in contention for the places in attack. Review the nominees and then choose your favourites for this all-star XI in the poll below.