More than 18 months since the majority of countries last took part in competitive action, the Asian Qualifiers are set to return on May 28 at eight centralised venues across the continent.
With the action coming thick and fast over a two-week period during which teams will look to secure a place in the next round of qualifying, the-AFC.com shines the spotlight on some of the form players who will be representing their nations.
Eldor Shomurodov (Uzbekistan)
Having moved from Russian club Rostov to Genoa in Serie A, Eldor Shomurodov is now coming into his own in Italy, and the forward’s recent spate of goals ensures he heads into the Asian Qualifiers on red-hot form.
The 25-year-old netted just four times in his first 28 appearances for his new side as he took time to adapt to his new surroundings, but has rounded off the campaign with five goals in his last six matches.
Shomurodov recently bagged a brace against third-placed Atalanta before closing out the campaign with a match-winning strike against Cagliari. That made it eight goals for the season, and his popularity among the club’s fanbase continues to grow.