A 2-2 draw with the Kuwaitis in Tashkent in the final group match in the 2006 event denied Pakhtakor a place in the last eight but, while coach Ravshan Haydarov will be looking to erase those painful memories, he will be doing so with a much-changed line-up.

Uzbekistan international trio Server Djeparov, Timur Kapadze and Anvar Soliev have all left to join Tashkent rivals Kuruvchi, while forward Uche Iheruome has gone on loan to Iranian side Mes.

However, the team have been strengthened by the return of forwards Alexander Geynrikh, back after a spell with Russian side Torpedo Moscow, and Farhod Tadjiyev, who had a successful loan spell as Samarkand-Dynamo last year and has emerged as the Uzbek league’s second highest scorer with 20 goals.

Pakhtakor has also signed midfielders Akmal Holmatov and Nodyr Kuziboyev from league rivals Neftchi but their main purchase of the off-season was Montenegro U-21 international midfielder Darko Markovic from Montenegrin league champions Zeta.

Markovic has already impressed Pakhtakor fans, scoring on his debut in an Uzbek league game against Neftchi and bringing the mobility and creativity in midfield that the team appeared to have lost following the departure of Djeparov and Kapadze.

Having missed out on last year’s AFC Champions League, Al Qadisiya are eyeing a good performance this year and have left no stone unturned in their preparation for their opening group game.

The team arrived in Tashkent on a private jet last Friday, just a day after their 1-0 win over Al Arabi, which kept them in second place in the Kuwait league, two points behind leaders Kuwait Sports Club.

Defender Mesaed Neda and midfielder Abdulrahman Mousa have been ruled out by injury while defender Tareq Al Khulaifi and midfielder Abdullah Al Dhafeeri missed the trip to central Asia due to personal matters.
The club’s Portuguese coach, Jose Garrido, claimed his players are well prepared for the game.

"We are ready for the match against Pakhtakor," Garrido said.

"Our last win in the league gave the players the necessary push after losing out in the Kuwait Crown Prince Cup title and they are ready mentally and physically.

"However, the game will not be easy at all because we are playing an away match and Pakhtakor are one of the top Asian teams. They also have a good experience in this competition."