In what will be the first-ever meeting between the pair, there is set to be plenty of attacking talent on display and the-AFC.com has selected four players who could inspire their team to the final.
Nguyen Van Quyet
(Forward, Hanoi FC)
The Hanoi skipper missed much of the group stage but has arguably been the most influential player of the tournament since the knockout rounds got underway, having scored five of his six goals in the business end of the campaign.
Van Quyet scored the decisive goal in the 3-2 aggregate victory over the Philippines’ Ceres Negros in the ASEAN Zonal semi-final, before the forward netted the only goal of the ASEAN Zonal Final first leg against domestic rivals Becamex Binh Duong.
His influence was even greater in the Inter-Zone semi-finals, with the 28-year-old holding his nerve from the spot to secure a 3-2 first-leg win over Altyn Asyr and then bagging a brace in the 2-2 draw in Turkmenistan that sealed a date with 4.25.
In addition to crucial goals, Van Quyet is a strong creative force and adept at bringing others into play. While Hanoi are replete with young talent, their captain also acts as a calming influence on his less experienced peers.
Kim Yu-song
(Striker, 4.25 SC)
Only Bienvenido Maranon of Ceres boasts more AFC Cup goals to his name in the past three years than Kim Yu-song, the DPR Korea international whose competition debut saw him net five against Mongolia’s Erchim FC in March 2017.
Kim finished that campaign with a tournament-leading nine goals before adding a further six to his tally in 2018 as 4.25 narrowly missed out on the final following an away goals defeat to Altyn Asyr in the Inter-Zone Final.
It was no surprise to again see the striker’s name regularly on the scoresheet in the 2019 group stage, where he scored six as 4.25 were crowned East Asia Zonal Champions. But his most telling contribution in his three years in the competition arrived in the Inter-Zone semi-finals.
Having lost an entertaining first leg 4-3 to Bangladesh’s Abahani Limited Dhaka, Kim produced the goods when it mattered most, scoring a pair of second-half goals in a 2-0 win to secure a 5-4 aggregate scoreline and a return to the Inter-Zone Final.
Nguyen Quang Hai
(Midfielder, Hanoi FC)
One of the most talked about players in Southeast Asia, Nguyen Quang Hai’s prodigious talent was first displayed at the AFC U23 Championship China 2018, where his stunning goals fired Vietnam to a runners-up finish.
The dead-ball specialist is a major threat anywhere in and around the penalty area while his close control as he jinks past defenders is a joy to behold. Like Van Quyet, the midfielder has also saved his best form for the knockout rounds.
Inter-Zone S-final 1st Leg: Hanoi FC v Altyn Asyr FC
Indeed, Quang Hai shared the limelight with his captain against Altyn Asyr, as the 22-year-old netted a fabulous free-kick in the first leg and then did superbly to create space for himself and add a lovely second in the 3-2 win.
Having appeared in the AFC U23 Championship’s latter rounds as well as being part of Vietnam’s AFF (ASEAN Football Federation) Championship-winning team, Quang Hai is no stranger to pressure environments and will likely relish the opportunity to shine once more
An Il-bom
(Forward, 4.25 SC)
The 4.25 SC captain An Il-bom has yet to scale the heights that he managed in the 2018 edition, but there is little doubt the forward has what it takes to strike fear into opposition defences.
Last year, An scored in seven of the eight games he played in up to the Inter-Zone Final, including a Goal of the Tournament contender against Chinese Taipei’s Hang Yuan FC as he even managed to outscore the prolific Kim.
His 12th and final goal came in the first leg of the Inter-Zone Final against Altyn Asyr as he finished as the 2018 edition’s leading scorer. Somewhat surprisingly, though, An’s only goal of the current campaign has been a penalty in the 5-0 group stage win over Hang Yuan.
With 4.25 just two games away from the final, the Pyongyang side will hope he can now rediscover his goalscoring touch when it matters most, starting at Hang Day Stadium against Hanoi on Wednesday.
