Scottish forward Lee Erwin has had an extraordinary career path, leading him to star in Al Ahed’s AFC Cup campaign. After coming through the ranks at Motherwell, spells in England with the likes of Leeds United and Oldham Athletic followed. Erwin then had his first adventure in Asian football with Iranian side Tractor in 2019, before returning to the continent through the gates of Al Ahed in 2022, having also spent some time playing in Finland in between.

 

Despite starting just six out of Al Ahed’s eight games in the AFC Cup 2023/24, Erwin is his side’s top scorer with three goals, scored from just four shots on target, highlighting his clinical nature. Only one player has more goal contributions in the team than the Scotsman’s four this campaign.

 

Coming on as a second-half substitute in the West Zone Final second leg against Al Nahda, Erwin bagged a brace in the span of five minutes to guide Al Ahed into their second final in the competition, and he will certainly be crucial if they are to add a second AFC Cup trophy to their cabinet.

They say numbers don’t lie and Mikael Doka has certainly had a stunning debut season since landing in Australia, with his growing influence in the club in the last few months being felt in both the domestic and continental fronts for Central Coast Mariners. Predominantly a right-back, Doka assisted twice against Stallion Laguna in the group stage in what was a period of adjustment to new surroundings for him.

 

A product of the Santos FC youth academy, this is Doka’s first stint overseas and he has already managed to endear himself to the Mariners faithful with his impressive performances. Four goals and four assists in the AFC Cup coupled with two goals and seven assists in the A-League, with most of them coming in 2024, highlights what a phenomenal year he is having in Gosford.

 

The 24-year-old’s attacking contributions have prompted head coach Mark Jackson to move him into a more advanced right winger position and it has certainly paid dividends, with two goals against Odisha FC, as well as crucial strikes against Macarthur FC and Abdysh Ata-Kant to his name as Doka now gets ready for one of the biggest matches in the club's history.

Erwin might have been the hero of Al Ahed’s West Zone Final success, but the Lebanese club would not have made it that far without the heroics of goalkeeper Mostafa Matar in the previous stage. Against Iraq’s Al Kahrabaa, Matar saved a penalty and scored the winning one in the shootout, to highlight his importance to Al Ahed.

 

Since joining the club in 2020, Matar has established himself as number one for club and country, displacing veteran Mehdi Khalil who moved to Jordan’s Al Wehdat.

 

In the AFC Cup 2023/24, Matar has made 18 saves at 69% save percentage, also producing two clean sheets and averaging just one goal conceded per match. Victory in the last-ever AFC Cup final would cement his status as one of the club’s greatest players in recent years.

From one flank to another for the Mariners, and with Jacob Farrell manning the left side of defence, the wide positions have certainly been an area of strength for the club. One of the first names on the team sheet these days, Farrell netted twice against Bali United during the group stage.

 

One aspect of his game that needs a special mention is his impenetrable presence in defence no matter which opposition he has come up against, with a remarkable 62 duels won in the AFC Cup this season placing him in the top position.

 

The hometown boy’s displays earned him a call-up to the Olyroos squad at the ongoing AFC U23 Asian Cup Qatar™ , where he started two of Australia’s three matches before returning home to score in the win against Adelaide United which sealed the Mariners’ A-League Premiership title in the last regular game of the season.

Since making the move to Al Ahed from Bahrain’s Manama Club in July 2023, Syrian playmaker Mohammed Al Hallak has become the main creative outlet for the 2019 AFC Cup winners.

 

Despite missing out on his national team’s AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ campaign through injury, Al Hallak recovered in time to help Al Ahed mount a successful AFC Cup knockout stage journey, making it all the way to the final, with a goal and an assist in the West Zone Final.

 

Not only has Al Hallak created the most chances for the team in the AFC Cup (10), he also leads the charts for goal contributions, with two goals and three assists to his name. His 12 dribbles completed are second only to right winger Ali Al Haj (13), and he has also produced 65 passes ending in the final third, highlighting his threat in attacking areas.

Modelling his game around Paulo Dybala, Miguel Di Pizio has been the Mariners’ very own “La Joya” this season. Still only 18 in what has been his maiden professional season, Di Pizio has mainly been used as an impact substitute by Jackson.

 

The winger has scored some of the most crucial goals for his team in the AFC Cup, with his 87th-minute equaliser against Terengganu FC in Group G ultimately helping the Mariners edge out their Malaysian counterparts by a solitary point which enabled them to finish top of the group and reach the knockout stage.

 

With the second leg of the Inter-Zone Final finely poised, Di Pizio’s late double helped them see out Abdysh Ata-Kant to reach the AFC Cup Final which means he now has three goals and one assist in just 366 minutes of play, as the teenager continues to be unfazed by limited game time and instead makes the most of it.