Philippines international and Cardiff City goalkeeper Neil Etheridge may be basking in the limelight as the first Southeast Asian player to feature in the English Premier League, but make no mistake about it, his path to one of the world’s most high-profile and lucrative leagues, much like his own country’s rise in Asian football, has come with plenty of challenges.

The 28-year-old Etheridge is no stranger to adversity and his well-documented ascent to England’s top flight is every bit remarkable as it was difficult.

As he looks forward to joining the Azkals at their first AFC Asian Cup appearance in the United Arab Emirates in January, the goalkeeper can turn to his rollercoaster journey as a source of inspiration in spearheading the country’s bid to create another milestone in the competition, where they will be faced with a daunting group that includes Korea Republic, China, and Kyrgyz Republic.

“The AFC Quarterly is the confederation's latest effort to reach out to the millions of passionate fans of Asian football and put on splendid display the game’s glorious achievements,” said AFC Acting President Zhang Jilong. “The biggest endeavour of this magazine is to make household names of our players and put the spotlight on our many competitions, which produce countless moments of top-notch football entertainment.”AFC Player of the Year Lee Keun-ho from Korea Republic is the cover star of the inaugural edition, which also features interviews with 2007 AFC Asian Cup winning striker Younus Mahmood, Olympic bronze medal-winning coach Hong Myung-bo, and Uzbek legend Mirdjalal Kasimov.

It’s fair to say that it’s been a whirlwind six months for Wang Shuang, the China forward who helped the Steel Roses finish third at the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in Jordan to secure a place at the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019.

Then, after narrowly missing out on the gold medal following defeat to Japan in the Asian Games final, Wang headed to Europe to join French giants Paris Saint- Germain.

With a huge 12 months to come, the forward discusses her career to date and looks ahead to the future.

Only one side have succeeded in defending the AFC Champions League title since its inception in 2002-03, the all-conquering Al Ittihad team that were crowned continental kings in 2004 and 2005. Right-back Ahmed Al Dokhi, who scored in the 2005 final, remembers a historic campaign for the Saudi Arabian team.

The ascension of Mansour Al Balawi to chairman at Al Ittihad in 2003 signalled a new dawn for the Jeddah-based club.

Already six-time Saudi champions and one of the country’s most popular sides, the new boss was determined to take his beloved team to greater heights.

In Hajime Moriyasu, the Japan Football Association (JFA) have made a shrewd appointment to lead the Samurai Blue into the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 and beyond.

Japan’s new head coach is determined, open, engaging, and a widely respected figure in the domestic game. The 50-year-old also has a pragmatic, ruthless streak, however, which ensures that above all he is a winner.

After guiding Sanfrecce Hiroshima to three J.League titles in four years between 2012 and 2015 Moriyasu was chosen to lead Japan’s U-23 side in their preparations for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, before also being parachuted in as part of Akira Nishino’s coaching staff at the recent FIFA World Cup after the JFA changed head coach two months before the competition.

In the past few weeks you have been voting for the best forwards and midfielders, and now it's time to turn our attention to defenders.

So, here are eight candidates for the spots at the backline. Review the nominees and then choose your favourite defenders for this all-star XI in the poll below.

Thailand and Syria recorded wins, the United Arab Emirates played to a draw against Honduras while Bahrain, Iraq and Lebanon suffered defeats.

Barcelona: The United Arab Emirates, aiming to impress on home soil, secured a 1-1 draw with Honduras with talisman Omar Abdulrahman's 32nd minute strike giving them a share of the spoils at the Estadio Olimpico de Montjuic in Barcelona.

Honduras had taken an 18th minute lead through Romell Quioto, who scored with a right-footed shot from close range to the top right corner of the UAE net.

UAE fought back and were rewarded when Abdulrahman found the back of the net with a right-footed effort after receiving the ball from Ismaeil Matar.