Persepolis Trio Nominated for Best 2020 ACL (West) Defenders

The return of the 2020 AFC Champions League (East) is now just weeks away but before this season's Continental campaign resumes, the-AFC.com continues its quest to find out who the fans consider the Best XI from the West Asia stage.

Nemati
Injuries to others forced Persepolis coach Yahya Golmohammadi to move midfielder Siamak Nemati to right-back ahead of the tournament's resumption in Qatar and, such were his performances, he made the position his own. The Tehran native was part of a backline so tight it didn't concede from open play in seven games in Doha while he was also a constant threat going forward.

Kanani
One of the success stories of the tournament's resumption, Hossein Kanaani rejoined boyhood club Persepolis in 2019 and he has taken the regular starting berth of club legend Jalal Hosseini. The 26-year-old excelled in the position, with his completed passes, duels won and interceptions count all high, while five shutouts in seven games at the back is an outstanding achievement.

Aghaei
It's no surprise that every member of Persepolis' regular back four made the cut with Saeid Aghaei, who joined from Sepahan prior to the resumption, slotting in seamlessly. The only game Persepolis lost in Doha was the only one in which the he didn't play, while he was a superb addition going forward, delivering more crosses from open play than any other defender and assisting his side's second goal in the quarter-final win over Pakhtakor.