Nasaf beat Kuwait SC of Kuwait in the final 2-1 at the Karshi Central Stadium in front of a sell-out crowd.

"Congratulations to Nasaf. It was a great match watched by thousands of enthusiastic fans and truly deserving of the grand finale of this edition of the AFC Cup."

The Uzbeks incidentally are the first non-West Asian club to win the title since the tournament's inception in 2004.

"Nasaf's victory proved once again that the level playing field in Asia is rising. The quality of the teams showed all-round improvement. The gap is closing rapidly," continued Jilong.

"Kuwait Sports Club played very well but Nasaf proved to be the better side on this day. The football was very exciting."

Jilong also praised the Uzbekistan Football Federation for their flawless organisation of the final match.

"I'd like to express my thanks for the exceptionally good organisation of the final. My thanks go to the Uzbekistan Football Federation and its President Mirabror Usmanov."