Know BFC's Rivals: Altyn Asyr FK

Goal tells you everything you need to know about the side that Bengaluru will be playing on Wednesday in the Inter-zone playoff semi-final...

TEAM NAME: Altyn Asyr FK

HOME GROUND (AFC Cup): Sport Toplumy Stadium, Balkanabat

COUNTRY: Turkmenistan

LEAGUE: Ýokary Liga

NICKNAME: The Signalmen

Head Coach: Yazguly Hojageldiyev (Turkmenistan)Last season achievements: Champions of Ýokary Liga

Latest match result: Won; Balkan FK 2-3 Altyn Asyr FK (14 August 2018, Kubka Turkmenistana)

Formed only a decade ago, Altyn Asyr have been the force to be reckoned with in Turkmen football in the last few years. Inducted into the Turken top division league - the Ýokary Liga since the club's inception, its first piece of silverware was the domestic FA Cup - the Kubka Turkmenistana in 2009.The Ashgabat-based side first were crowned Ýokary Liga champions in 2014 and have won it four times in a row (2015, 2016 and 2017). All this success has come under coach Yazguly Hojageldiyev who has also doubled up as the Turkmenistan national team coach since January 2017 - in his second stint after a four-year term from 2010 to 2014.Altyn Asyr's squad comprises only domestic talents and also forms the core of the national team. This season in the Ýokary Liga, Altyn Asyr are placed second after 16 rounds with 12 more to play. They have accumulated 33 points from ten win, three draws and three losses.While league leaders Ahal FK have the best defensive record so far with only eight goals conceded, Altyn have the best offensive record. The Signalmen have let in ten but scored 31 goals. After a break in the league for the FIFA World Cup, Altyn Asyr travelled to Greece to play a friendly with Xanthi FC in which they lost 3-2.In the lead up to the two-legged clash with Bengaluru FC, Altyn Asyr have played two league games. A 3-0 victory over local rivals Köpetdag in the first match after the resumption of the league was only followed by a goalless draw against Ahal, in which they squandered a good opportunity to climb to the top of the table.On either side of the game against Ahal, Altyn Asyr went on to beat FC Balkan 8-2 (5-0 and 2-3) on aggregate in a two-legged Kubka Turkmenistana quarter-final tie.

This is Altyn Asyr's first time in the knockout round of the AFC Cup in only their third ever appearance in the tournament proper. In their first tryst with continental football back in 2015, they were knocked out by UAE's Shabab Al-Dhahiriya in the preliminary qualifying round itself.In 2016, they finished bottom of their group, only managing one win against Lebanese side Al Ahed at home - their first ever in Asia. They came back stronger the following year after the rejig in the format of the AFC Cup. They remained unbeaten at home in the Central Asian group but the 1-1 draw at home to Istiklol and a loss away hurt them as they missed out on progression, finishing runners-up in Group D.Altyn Asyr announced their 2018 campaign with intent beating Kyrgyz side Alay Osh 3-6 at their own backyard. Dropping points against Ahal away and Istiklol at home cost them heavy as they needed to win in the final group game, that too against Istiklol, for whom only a draw would have been enough.The Turkmen champions took a two-goal lead before the break in Tajikistan but the 2017 AFC Cup runners-up replied with the dramatic equaliser coming in the 91st minute of the game from the spot. However, substitute Mihail Titov made it 3-2 in favour of the visitors in the seventh minute of injury time, seeing Hojageldiyev's men through to the next round, creating history in the process and also serving out some sweet revenge to Istiklol.

Hojageldiyev prefers a 4-4-2 but was seen experimenting with a 4-3-3 against Ahal. However, that ended in a goalless draw and has shelved the idea ever since. Having said that, there is no fixed formation for Altyn Asyr as all depends on the attacking outlets Altymyrat Annadurdyyev and Murat Yakshiev.Annadurdyyev operates on the left and Yakshiev from the right as both drift in to form a lethal pair that have eleven AFC Cup 2018 goals between them already. Altyn is an attacking team, evident from the stats given they are the fifth-best scoring team in this year's competition with 17 strikes.The manager is spoilt for choice especially in midfield. Mekan Ashrov, who has been in great goalscoring form of late might be considered but it is next to impossible to drop Umidjan Astanaov who has started five of six games in the AFC Cup.

GOALKEEPERS: 1. Mamed Orazmuhamedov, 16. Nurgeldy Astanov;

DEFENDERS: 2. Zafar Babajanov, 3. Shohrat Soyunov, 4. Mekan Saparov, 6. Seyitmyrat Charyyev, 12. Serdar Annaorazov, 24. Gurbangeldi Batyrov, 33. Annasahet Annasahedov;

MIDFIELDERS: 14. Umidjan Astanaov, 18. Furkat Tursunov, 19. Selim Atayev, 20. Begmyrat Bayov, 21. Resul Hojayev, 22. Mekan Ashrov, , 27. Velmyrat Ballakov, 29. Serdar Geldiyev;

FORWARDS: 7. Altymyrat Annadurdyyev, 9. Gurbangeldi Sahedov, 10. Selim Nurmuradov, 11. Murat Yakshiev, 15. Akmyrat Jumanazarov, 30. Mihail Titov.Follow Swapnaneel Parasar on Twitter - @Swapyo