The Indonesian club exceeded expectations when they qualified for the Knockout Stage after finishing second in their group on goal difference.

Vamos, a young team that was put together just weeks before the start of the tournament following the exit of established players, took the game to Iraqi side Nafit at the Gor Amongrogo.

Despite Vamos being backed by a partisan crowd, it was Nafit who went ahead after just 50 seconds when the home side failed to make a clean clearance in the box to give Hassan Ali Jabbar the opportunity to score the opening goal.

Nafit, who were swift in attack, were also well organised at the back and dealt with every Vamos attack with ease.

Mustafa Bachay Hamzah came close to doubling Nafit’s lead in the fourth minute when his shot hit the post and seconds later, with the goal at his mercy, Farhad Tavakoli Roozbahani squandered the opportunity.

 

Coming in as Group A winners, Nagoya had a record of only having conceded one goal in three group stage games, but the Vietnamese champions proved to be their toughest challenge yet.

Three-time champions Nagoya, played with aggression and moved fluidly but it was Neto Antonio Hirata who was a thorn for Thai Son Nam.

In the sixth minute, he dribbled past two Thai Son Nam defenders on the left before sending the ball to an unmarked Ryohei Ando at the penalty mark, who then made no mistake to hit home.

 

Bank of Beirut won a penalty shootout 3-2 after the amazing contest had finished 7-7 after extra time following a remarkable comeback by Bluewave, with the end of regulation time seeing the match tied 6-6.

Beirut found themselves on the back foot as early as the first minute after Suphawut Thueanklang lost his marker on the right and his shot slipped past Beirut goalkeeper Hussein Hamadani to give defending champions Bluewave the lead.

Bluewave played a high-pressing game with captain Kritsada Wongkaeo operating down the middle but Beirut looked dangerous every time they counter attacked.

Unable to find the second goal, Thail club Bluewave changed their strategy and brought in Sorasak Phoonjungreed, Peerapat Kaewwilai, Nattavut Madyalan and Suttiroj Natthapon but it was a move that backfired.

 

The opening minutes of the match were highly entertaining as both sides took on an aggressive approach from the first blow of the whistle.

Ali Asghar Hassanzadeh opened the scoring within the first minute of the game but Mes Sungun’s had no time to enjoy the lead as Dilshat Kadyrov scored the equaliser from a kick in set-piece just moments after the restart.

Sangsefidi etched his name on the scoresheet in the third minute when a set-piece split Erem’s defence and a string of passes between Farhad Fakhim and Mortteza Ezzati led to Sangsefidi laying the finishing touch.

 

Jeonju, who were already out of contention, played for pride but Nafit played for the win, knowing a victory would surely secure their place in the last eight.

The intensity of the game was high, as both sides deployed serious man-to-man marking, and while Nafit had the better opportunities in the opening minutes, Jeonju held a solid defence.

However, Nafit eventually broke through the Korean barricade and took the lead when a corner kick-in found Farhad Tavakoli unmanned near the penalty spot and he made no mistake from 10 metres with a strike into the bottom left corner of the net.

There was, however, cheer for Vamos despite the defeat as the home side also advanced into the quarter-finals on goal difference ahead of Dalian Yuan Dynasty FC of China PR.

In a lively atmosphere at the Gor Uny, Vamos supporters came in droves and made their presence felt as they urged the home team on against the three-time champions.

But it was Nagoya who had the first chance in the third minute when Kiyoto Yagi sent in a cross but Hoshi Shota failed to time his header.

Vamos responded immediately with Marvin Alexa Wossiry breaking down the right but his shot flew wide of the post.

A minute later Vamos activated the power play with Dennis Guna Bawana filling in for goalkeeper Al Fajri Zikri but their plan fizzled out as Nagoya stayed firm.