West Zone

Jordan’s Al Jazeera and Lebanon’s Al Ahed topped Group A and B respectively with unbeaten records, with the former impressively coming out ahead of holders Air Force Club.

Al Jazeera’s countrymen Al Faisaly also impressed, winning four of their six Group Stage ties to top Group C ahead of Oman’s Dhofar Club.

The place in the Knockout Stage for the best runners-up from the West Zone went down to the wire with champions Air Force Club and compatriots Al Zawra’a level on nine points each with one game remaining.

However, it was to be the two-time winners who progressed. A 94th minute equaliser saw Al Jaish draw with Al Zawra’a which enabled Air Force Club to leapfrog their fellow Iraqis into the Zonal Semi-finals after a 2-0 win over Al Suwaiq.

ASEAN Zone

Defending ASEAN Zone champions Ceres Negros of the Philippines began their zonal defence in emphatic fashion with a 9-0 thrashing of Cambodian club Boeung Ket FC. And yet it would be Singapore’s Home United, courtesy of a Matchday Six defeat of Ceres, that would ultimately top Group F.

In Group G, Yangon United stood out with several fine performances to top the standings ahead of 2017 ASEAN Zone semi-finalists Global FC, FLC Thanh Hoa and Bali United.

Bali United were one of the two sides marking Indonesian clubs' return to the AFC Cup for the first time since 2015, but it was the capital city side, Persija Jakarta who truly made the headlines.

Persija smashed AFC Cup all-time attendance records in the group stages and rewarded their fervent fans by winning a tough Group H ahead of Song Lam Nghe An, former winners Johor Darul Ta’zim and Tampines Rovers.

The three group winners were joined in the Zonal Semi-finals by best runners-up Ceres, who along with Persija, Home and Yangon finished on 13 points.

Central, East and Southern Zone

Arguably the biggest shock of the 2018 AFC Cup Group Stage came in the Central Zone where Altyn Asyr eliminated last year’s runners-up FC Istiklol.

The Tajiks were looking to progress towards a third final since their debut at the competition in 2015, but a stunning 97th minute winner from Mihail Titov, in a rollercoaster 3-2 victory on Matchday Six for the visiting Turkmens, tore up the form book and pre-tournament predictions.

There was also late drama in the South Zone where Indian powerhouse JSW Bengaluru were trailing the Maldives New Radiant SC going into Matchday Six.

Ultimately, they had their countrymen to thank as Aizawl FC chose the opportune time to record their first win of the tournament, downing the Maldivians 2-1 as Bengaluru's 4-0 victory in Bangladesh took them into the Inter-Zonal Semi-final.

It was more straightforward in the East Zone as DPR Korea heavyweight 4.25 SC posted a perfect record with six wins in six. Macau’s Benfica Macau, though, did impress on their AFC Cup debut, finishing in second.

The Knockout Stage

It was an all-Jordan affair when Al Jazeera took on Al Faisaly in the West Zone semi-final, and it was Musa Al Taamari who proved the difference. The Al Jazeera forward scoring twice over the two legs, to help secure his team a place in the West Zonal final.

Facing Al Jazeera will be the defending champions Air Force Club, on track for a third consecutive title, after edging Al Ahed 5-3 on aggregate.

The ASEAN Zone, meanwhile, will see a repeat of last year’s Zonal Final, with Home United again facing Ceres.

The Singaporeans impressed in beating Persija 6-3 on aggregate, particularly by winning the second leg in Jakarta as the Indonesians broke yet another tournament attendance record.

Ceres had a rollercoaster encounter of their own against Yangon United, eventually coming out on top thanks to a 6-5 aggregate win.

With plenty of action already enjoyed, and yet more to come as the competition reaches the latter stages, Asian football fans are in for an exciting time when the action gets back underway.