Qualifiers - Group B: Bangladesh 7-0 Macau; Cambodia 1-3 Afghanistan

The win took Afghanistan to nine points in Group B of the Qualifiers, with the Central Asian side only needing a draw against Bangladesh -who defeated Macau 7-0 - when the two sides meet on Sunday.

DPR Korea topped Group A with a perfect record of four wins while two victories in the three-team Group H booked the UAE's berth.

Thirteen places remain up for grabs on Sunday so stay updated on all the action with the-AFC.com.

There were upsets, huge wins and disappointments with just the 10 group winners and five best second-placed teams to join hosts Saudi Arabia in the Finals.

The teams will resume their battles on Friday so stay updated on all the action with the-AFC.com.

Wednesday will see the remaining seven groups kicking as the teams look to book their places in the Finals.

The 10 group winners and five best runners-up will join hosts Saudi Arabia at the Finals. Stay updated on all the action with the-AFC.com.

The big victories propelled both sides to the top of their respective groups as the journey to reach the Finals began in earnest.

The hopefuls have been split into 10 groups – six of four, one of three and three of five – to battle in a centralised league format, which runs until October 27.

All group winners, along with the five best-placed runners-up, will progress to the 20th edition of the Finals, with two-time winners Saudi Arabia (1985, 1988) automatically qualifying as they host the tournament for the second time after 1992.

Stay updated on all the action with the-AFC.com.

While DPR Korea are two-time champions, Poland are appearing in the tournament for the first time but have turned heads with their performances.

The result was a welcome boost for Hodak’s men after a slow start to their campaign which saw defeats against Thailand’s Port FC and Zhejiang FC of China.

The win means Port stayed perfect with two wins as they gear up for the rescheduled match against Lion City Sailors FC on Wednesday that could have huge bearing on their knockout stage hopes.

Set to shine the light on Asia’s emerging leagues, the revamped third tier men’s club competition’s group stage will feature three groups of four teams each from the West and two groups involving three teams each from the East and will be played in a centralised league format.