AFC Champions League 2018 - Archive Videos

Indeed, Bounedjah rarely failed to shine after finding the net twice against Al Wasl FC on Matchday One, his impressive tally ensuring he joined Brazilians Adriano and Muriqui at the top of the AFC Champions League’s goalscoring charts for the most strikes in a single season.

The 2018 AFC Champions League was filled with classic matches, nail-biting moments and fabulous individual performances and, after reviewing the competition's key players, 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.

After selecting the 2018 competition's best goalkeeper and the four men to take their place in the backline, this week we move on to the more attacking positions by turning our attention towards the midfield positions and highlighting 10 standout performers.

A tournament that saw Barcelona legend Xavi finally make his AFC Champions League debut had no shortage of creative flair, so review the nominees and don't forget to vote for your favourite at the bottom of the article!

The report notes down in detail the complete journey of the participating teams from the preliminary stages to the thrilling final between eventual champions Kashima Antlers of Japan and Islamic Republic of Iran's Persepolis.

It also includes Kashima head coach Go Oiwa's evaluation of his team's performance, while AFC Technical Director Andy Roxburgh explores the technical talking points.

Click on the link below to view the full report:
TSG REPORT: 2018 AFC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

The 20-year-old Hong Konger scored a dramatic winner in Matchday Four against Kashiwa Reysol that ensured a historic first AFC Champions League win for both his club Kitchee SC and, indeed, the first victory in the competition for Hong Kong.

Coming into the game with a two-goal advantage enabled Kashima to play a waiting game in the second leg, and they pressed and harried for 90 minutes to see themselves crowned as kings of the continent.

The presence of the female fans for the first time in 40 years in an official match at the Azadi Stadium was due to the efforts of AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, together with the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran.

More than 1,000 female football fans joined a capacity crowd for the Continental showpiece which saw Kashima Antlers emerge champions for the first time.

The female fans shared their excitement and joy at being in the Azadi Stadium on social media.

A tough night in Tehran saw Islamic Republic of Iran's Persepolis fail to breach the backline of Japanese side Kashima Antlers, as a goalless draw was enough to see the AFC Champions League title lifted by a J.League side for a second year running.

Nevertheless, Iraq international Resan was in philosophical mood after the second leg of the final concluded at Azadi Stadium.

The 22-year-old played a key role as Japan’s Kashima Antlers sealed their maiden continental crown with a 0-0 second leg draw away to Persepolis of the Islamic Republic of Iran on Saturday, after winning the first leg of the final 2-0.

The young Japan star was in no doubt as to the magnitude of the team’s success, and is sure it is a triumph he will look back on with great pride in years to come.