It will be Central against South Asia come April 16 when the curtain falls on the first edition of the AFC Challenge Cup in Dhaka.

The 16-team tournament has reached the last four stage with Central Asian neighbours Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan vying for a final berth in Dhaka while Nepal are pitted against fellow South Asians Sri Lanka in the other semifinal.

Although the tournament was originally designed for the emerging Asian nations, performance of teams like Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan have proved that they belong to a different class. Whoever takes the silverware, the exposure they have got from this meet will definitely boost their efforts to climb the ladder.

Tajikistan's clinical destruction of hosts Bangladesh has made them a strong contenders to go all the way but Kyrgyzstan, under shrewd coach Boris Podkorytov, also proved their worthiness after eliminating sentimental favourites Palestine.

After the tournament's top marksman Fahed Attal's exit with the Palestine team, Tajikistan midfielder Odil Irgashev is in the race for winning the most valuable player award. Although his fellow midfielders - especially Ibraguim Rabimov and Khurshed Makhmudov - have been very impressive in strutting their stuff, Irgashev has already won hearts with tremendous sprints down the right wing, stamina and inch-perfect crosses for the forwards.

Kyrgyzstan midfield general Vadim Harchenko would also be a candidate if he can successfully help his side repeat their group-stage victory over Tajikistan in the knockout phase. His match reading is a great asset for the side and he controls the midfield as well as the movement of the forwards with crisp passes. With the authority he has shown in each game, the side will depend heavily on his individual brilliance and exploits.

Another candidate would definitely be Nepal’s prolific midfielder Pradeep Maharjan, the second highest scorer with five goals who has overcome the pain barrier to lead Nepal's charge in the tournament.