The two sides were pitted in the same group for the second year running, and Malkiya produced a repeat of the result they got at the same ground in the 2018 edition.

Unlike ten months ago, it was Al Suwaiq who opened the scoring this time. The hosts’ first big chance of the game resulted in a goal.

A solo effort from winger Thamir Al Zaabi saw him dribble past two defenders then deliver a cross from the right flank that veteran Muhsen Al Ghassani met on the volley from close range to put Al Suwaiq in front halfway through the opening period.

The 2014 AFC Cup champions returned to the competition after a four-year absence following a FIFA ban on Kuwaiti football.

A quiet opening period only came to life ten minutes before the break as the hosts threatened for the first time through Martin Toshev.

The Kuwaiti defence failed to clear a Hussein Dakik cross, and the Bulgarian striker pounced on the rebound, but his miscued effort was cleared off the goal line.

It only took 13 minutes for the scoring to get underway at Thuwunna Stadium, as Sekou Sylla received a Htoo Khant Lwin throw-in from the right, dropped the shoulder to turn his marker Amirul Adli with ease, and then slammed home past Tampines goalkeeper Syazwan Buhari from an acute angle to give Yangon, ASEAN Zonal semi-finalists last year, the lead.

Hanoi took the lead in spectacular style after just six minutes. Following a corner, the ball was fed back to Do Duy Manh, who smashed a shot from 30 yards in off the underside of the bar.

It didn’t take long for the hosts to add a second. Nguyen Quang Hai’s backheel found its way to Nguyen Van Dung on the left and his low cross was tapped in by Ganiyu Oseni.

Ceres have made it to the knockout round in each of the past three seasons, but the hosts were given an early scare after 13 minutes when Maycon clipped home a one-on-one for Shan.

The Brazilian was adjudged to have strayed narrowly offside when running onto a Zin Min Tun through ball though, and so things remained scoreless.

The Indonesian champions had chances of their own before the Vietnamese side piled on the pressure in the late stages but failed to find the winning goal.

After a lively but scrappy start to the game, Persija’s Bruno Matos had the fans on their feet with some sublime skill taking him past a few challenges but the move came to nothing.

The Jordanian side returned to the competition after missing out on the 2018 edition, their only absence in the past five years. Nejmeh, finalists in 2005, had exited at the group stage in each of their previous two appearances in 2015 and 2017.

A well-worked attacking move from a set-piece sent the home crowed into raptures as Al Wehdat took the lead just 11 minutes into the game.

Al Murjan was left with a simple tap in from point-blank range after Rajaei Ayed’s intelligently dinked pass found Hamza Al Dardour in plenty of space. The forward selflessly squared for Al Murjan who netted Al Wehdat’s opener.