The first leg of the tie will be held in Bishkek on Wednesday before the return leg in Gosford a week later as both sides set their eyes on reaching the final in what is their debut campaigns in the AFC Cup.

As the teams get set to meet in the Kyrgyz capital, the-AFC.com selects two players from each side who could prove pivotal in their quests to reach the grand finale.

Kayrat Zhyrgalbek Uulu (Abdysh-Ata Kant)

In what has been a near-flawless debut continental campaign for Abdysh-Ata Kant, Kayrat Zhyrgalbek Uulu has shone the brightest with a highly impressive eight goal involvements in seven matches so far.

The full-back, who is equally adept at playing in more advanced positions, scored his team’s first AFC Cup goal against Altyn Asyr before netting three more in two matches against FC Merw as Abdysh finished the group stage unbeaten with five wins.

Next up for Zhyrgalbek was an Inter-Zone semi-final against Taichung Futuro last month, where he once again opened the scoring before registering two assists across both legs as Abdysh went on to record a 8-1 aggregate win and the versatile Kyrgyz national team star will now be gearing up for his side’s sternest challenge yet.

Joshua Nisbet (Central Coast Mariners)

A lot has changed for Joshua Nisbet in the last month or so with the midfielder being a crucial component of Central Coast Mariners remarkably turning their season around after starting the 2023-24 campaign with four straight league defeats.

And there has been no shortage of plaudits for the midfield maestro as he made his Socceroos debut against Lebanon in Canberra during the Preliminary Joint Qualifiers – Round 2 for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ last month, as well as picking up back-to-back A-League PFA Player of the Month awards.

Nisbet has also added goals to his repertoire, scoring in crucial league wins against Macarthur FC and Newcastle Jets to help the Mariners sit top of the A-League table. The 24-year-old will now aim to continue his impressive season when Central Coast make the long trip to Bishkek for the first leg, in what is the final hurdle before a shot at continental glory.

Ernist Batyrkanov (Abdysh-Ata Kant)

A constant threat up front for Abdysh-Ata Kant, Ernist Batyrkanov was a key component of a side that won their first league title in 2022 and successfully defended it a year later. In between, the 26-year-old had a brief spell in Malaysia with Kelantan where he also scored against the Harimau Malaya in the Asian Qualifiers in March.

Batyrkanov netted on his AFC Cup debut against Altyn Asyr before adding a stunning volley against the same opponents later in the group stage as his side came from two down to win 4-2. Another goal against Taichung Futuro in the Inter-Zone semi-final took his tally to three for the campaign to date.

And after having featured alongside Zhyrgalbek at the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™, the forward has begun the Kyrgyz domestic season in fine fashion, scoring twice in the recent win against Ilbirs to ensure he heads into the Inter-Zone final in red-hot form.

Mikael Doka (Central Coast Mariners)

Having joined Central Coast Mariners at the start of the season, Mikael Doka has had a memorable debut campaign with vital individual contributions to a new-look side under Mark Jackson ensuring he has become yet another successful South American signing for the Mariners.

The 24-year-old’s performances in the AFC Cup have helped him nail down a starting line-up spot, with Doka predominantly featuring as a right-back although his knack of joining the attack has also seen him being used as a right winger at times.

With a team that contains scorers all over the pitch, the Brazilian has arguably scored some of the biggest goals in Mariners’ season. An equaliser against Macarthur was followed by two goals against Odisha FC in the AFC Cup knockout stages while his brilliant stoppage-time effort against Wellington Phoenix took his side top of the table, endearing the Fortaleza native to the Gosford audience.