Bishkek: Manuchehr Dzhalilov’s hat-trick earned FC Istiklol a 4-1 win over Dordoi FC in rain-soaked Bishkek on Wednesday that leaves the 2015 AFC Cup finalists just one game away from securing a place in the next round of the 2017 edition of the competition.
Istiklol lead Group D by virtue of a better head-to-head record over second placed Altyn Asyr and a draw when the two teams meet in two weeks’ time will be enough to take the club from Tajikistan into August's Inter-zone Play-off Semi-finals.
Dzhalilov was the star of the show for Istiklol, starting and finishing the move in the seventh minute that saw the visitors take the lead when the 26-year-old headed home from 10 yards out and less than a minute into the second half he added a second when he pounced on Dmitrii Barkov’s flick to score.
Zarifou Soulemana halved the deficit in the 50th minute with a header for Dordoi, but Dzhalilov scored again from six yards out 15 minutes from time before an injury time own goal by Egor Potapov completed the rout
Source: the-afc.com