Honda, 33, got a hero's welcome from thousands of fans when he arrived in Brazil on February 7, but played his first match in the eery quiet of Botafogo's deserted stadium.

He was photographed training ahead of the Rio Cup tie with a mask on.

It may be his last match for some time: the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) has suspended the season until further notice because of the pandemic, effective Monday.

"Ole, Ole, Ole, Ola, Honda, Honda," chanted a huge crowd of frenzied fans, brandishing Japanese flags as the 33-year-old arrived at the Galeao international airport in Rio de Janeiro.

Hidden by the pack of photographers shooting his arrival, Honda pleased the crowd by hopping onto a platform to greet them, then donned a Botafogo cap and waved a flag in the club's black and white colours.

The club issued a statement on its official website that Faria, who hails from Portugal, had decided to leave the team due to personal reasons.

The UAE Pro League pacesetters made the announcement following a 2-2 draw with Al Nasr on Saturday, taking them to 40 points - three ahead of second-placed Al Ain FC.

With Johor Darul Ta'zim defeating Suwon Samsung Bluewings in Group G to win their first-ever AFC Champions League game at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors scoring late to secure a draw against Sydney FC in Group H, the-AFC.com looks back at the week in numbers.

Suwon Samsung Bluewings' Terry Antonis has been named this week's Toyota Player of the Week in the 2020 AFC Champions League.

The midfielder scored a stunning goal for the Korean FA Cup winners against Johor Darul Ta'zim but it was not enough to prevent the visitors from losing 2-1 on Tuesday. Nevertheless, the Australian's performance saw him pick up this week's top player plaudit.

Antonis' spectacular strike, which was nominated for Goal of the Week, came from one shot on goal, while he was heavily involved throughout the tie, registering 60 touches with two duels and two tackles won.