The Asian Football Confederation has been running a series looking at top players who have left a mark on the AFC Champions League from their respective countries.
While only one Qatari club has won the competition — Al Sadd — there have also been long runs ending in the late knockout-stages of the competition with a number of Qatari stars excelling over the years.


Hassan al-Haydos
Part of the 2011 AFC Champions League-winning Al Sadd side, the current club captain has racked up 58 appearances in the competition since 2010, scoring nine goals in the process.
Al-Haydos guided Al Sadd to back-to-back semi-final places, losing out to Persepolis in 2018 and being narrowly pipped by eventual champions Al Hilal SFC last year after a valiant fightback in the away leg that saw them almost overturn a 4-1 home loss. The Qatar national team captain also reached the quarter-final stage with his club in 2014.


Rodrigo Tabata
The Brazil-born former Qatar international is the nation’s most prolific scorer in the history of the AFC Champions League, with 13 goals in 41 appearances.
Tabata managed the feat having only played in the knockout stage of the competition once — in 2014 while at Al Sadd — when he paired up with legendary Spanish striker Raul Gonzalez.
The vast majority of the 39-year-old’s strikes came during his recently-ended decade-long stay at Al Rayyan. Tabata’s most memorable performance in the AFC Champions League came in the group stage of the 2017 edition, when his brace and assist led Al Rayyan to a 3-1 home triumph over Iran’s Persepolis.


Abdelkarim Hassan
Hassan was one of the younger players in Al Sadd’s AFC Champions League winning squad of 2011, but the left-back has since grown into a legend for club and country, with his exploits on the continental front culminating in him being named the 2018 AFC Player of the Year.
The 26-year-old already has 44 appearances to his name; a record he is likely to improve significantly should he remain at the Qatari powerhouse.
Hassan’s most remarkable contribution came at the other end of the pitch against PFC Lokomotiv Tashkent in the group stage of the 2015 edition, when he beat two players, then audaciously lobbed the opposition keeper from 50 yards out — a goal that was deservedly in the running for “Fans’ Best Ever ACL Goal”.


Akram Afif
The left winger might be only 23, but he’s left a mark after bursting onto the continental scene in 2018.
With eight goals in 25 appearances so far, the 2019 AFC Player of the Year’s record with Al Sadd speaks for itself as he drove his side to the semi-final stage of last year’s edition, scoring five goals and playing every single minute of the campaign bar one match.
Having also made a run to the semi-finals in 2018, his focus will be helping his club regain the top continental title to add to his already impressive CV, which includes an AFC Asian Cup with Qatar.


Khalfan Ibrahim
Ibrahim was one of the influential players in the Al Sadd side of 2011 in his attacking midfield role. 
Managing 11 appearances in the run up to the final, he scored only one goal - controlling a heavy cross and tapping in to put his side on course to make a comeback against IR Iran’s Esteghlal FC, who they eventually drew 2-2 with.
The 2006 AFC Asian Player of the Year retired late in 2019, having last appeared in the competition donning Al Rayyan’s colours in March of the same year.


Sebastian Soria
Doesn’t need much of an introduction - the Qatari striker holds the record for the fastest ever AFC Champions League goal: 7 seconds.
The goal came in a very typical fashion: A tap in from a right-wing cross straight after kick-off to put former club Lekhwiya (now Al Duhail) on the front foot away to Pakhtakor.
His exploits in Asian football saw him come in third place in the 2008 AFC Asian Player of the Year shortlist.