The move, aimed at helping prevent the COVID-19 outbreak in the Central Asian country, means the top-level Tajikistan Football League will be put on hiatus until May 10, following the conclusion of the fourth round of fixtures on Sunday.

With no confirmed COVID-19 cases in the nation, Tajikistan’s championship had been one of a few active competitions in Asian football.

Wise words indeed and an undeniable truth that has inspired an army of photographers to document the exhilarating highs and lows of Asian football. To produce images that – sometimes years on from when they were first produced – never fail to resonate, never fail to stir the emotions, never fail to excite.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the postponement of Asian Qualifiers fixtures scheduled for March and June, with Malaysia within striking distance of top spot in Group G.

The Southeast Asians sit second in the group on nine points, with Vietnam on top with 11. Regional rivals Thailand are third on eight points with United Arab Emirates two points behind in an extremely tight group.

Thailand’s 2020 domestic season is currently on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but plans are in place to resume in September should the situation have improved enough to allow competitive sport to restart.

The Thai FA has long-since discussed the idea of moving the schedule to be more in line with European leagues and the unprecedented situation around the world at present could have inadvertently offered them the chance to do so sooner than expected.

Though the country boasts only one title, several players have left a lasting mark on the competition since it was inaugurated in the 2002-03 season.

After previously featuring the finest acrobatic goals, solo goals, volleys, long-range screamers and chips, this week's selection sees stunning set-piece specials from some of the biggest names of the Continental game including Paulinho, Theerathon and Abdulrahman, so enjoy the trip down memory lane and vote for your favourite in the poll below!

Only one player has scored a hat-trick in the Premier continental final since the first Asian club champions were crowned more than 50 years ago.

That remarkable feat occurred on April 22, 2000 – 20 years ago today – when Al Hilal’s on-loan Brazilian striker Sergio Ricardo scored a third-minute free-kick, a last-gasp equaliser and a decisive 103rd-minute golden goal to bring the Asian crown back to Riyadh for the second time in history.

Al Hilal’s 3-2 win over a Jubilo Iwata side featuring the likes of Masashi Nakayama and Naohiro Takahara sent a vibrant King Fahd Stadium into euphoria and gave the Saudi giants a title they would need to wait 19 years to replicate.