With the Malaysia Cup Round of 16 completed, it is Johor Darul Ta'zim, Kelantan, Kuching City, Sabah, Kuala Lumpur City, Terengganu, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan that are marching on into the quarterfinals.
JDT and Terengganu, the champions and runners-up of the Malaysia Super League this season respectively, had no real issues as they claimed handsome aggregate victories, while defending champions KL City also had no real issues marching on.
The first leg of the quarterfinals will take place on Nov. 5 and 6, followed by the return encounters on Nov. 11 and 12.
As the dust settles on the Round of 16 action, here are five things we learned ahead of the last-eight ties.
Bergson could potentially be JDT's best import ever
JDT have had no shortage of eye-catching imports over the years ranging from the stellar names like Luciano Figueroa, Pablo Aimar and Dani Guiza, to the less-illustrious who would go on to achieve cult hero status such as Jorge Pereyra Diaz and Gonzalo Cabrera.
Yet, current spearhead Bergson da Silva is slowly but surely staking his claim to be the best of the lot.
He has been prolific for certain -- having bagged a staggering 52 goals in the past two league campaigns alone -- but is far from the usual poacher in the box.
What endears Bergson even more to the JDT faithful is his ability to produce spectacular moments that get them on their feet, as he did on Monday with a stunning 35-yard rocket that sent the Southern Tigers on their way to a 2-0 win over Petaling Jaya City.
Kelantan get early taste of MSL return in 2023
After three years in the second tier, Kelantan will be back in the top flight next year -- and the Malaysia Cup will certainly warm them up for their return.
Having claimed a 1-0 aggregate win over Sarawak United in the Round of 16, the Red Warriors have been rewarded with a tantalising quarterfinal tie against JDT.
Barring a massive upset that just does not look like happening, the last eight is where Kelantan's Malaysia Cup journey will end in 2022 -- but an early chance to test themselves against the best team in the land for the past nine years will surely be beneficial for next season.
KL City have arguably the most well-rounded team of the lot
When assessing teams and their prospects of success, it is common to immediately look to their star players and KL City do have a couple of brilliant main men in Paulo Josue and Romel Morales.
But perhaps what has been key to the City Boys' recent success -- having won the Malaysia Cup last season and reaching the AFC Cup final this year -- is the fact that they have an equally capable supporting crew.
On Tuesday, it was Zhafri Yahya's turn to come to the fore with the only goal of the game in their second-leg win over PDRM, and he is one of just several -- including the likes of Akram Mahinan, Declan Lambert, Ryan Lambert and Giancarlo Gallifuoco -- to consistenly get his job done with minimal fuss.
In terms of overall ability, KL City are still some way off matching it with JDT but pound for pound, especially in a cup competition, they have every chance to go all the way.
Kedah will look back on 2022 as a disappointment
With their 2-1 aggregate loss to Negeri Sembilan, Kedah Darul Aman's season has officially come to an end.
For a team that were runners-up in the MSL in the previous two seasons, and played continental football this year in the AFC Cup, 2022 will be classified as a disappointment.
Losing spiritual leader and talisman Baddrol Bakhtiar to Sabah at the end of last term -- after 16 years of him being a key player -- was always going to be a huge blow both on and off the field, but there is still enough talent at the club to warrant a better performance than an 8th-place finish in the MSL, as well as early exits in both cup competitions.
Changes are already afoot at the Darul Aman Stadium following the resignation of coach Aidil Sharin on the eve of the Malaysia Cup, although the Singaporean departs with plenty of credit for what he achieved with Kedah in previous years.
Terengganu just can't stop scoring
Plenty has been made about Terengganu's resurgent form in the second half of the year, which saw them go from mid-table to runners-up in the MSL -- and emerge as genuine challengers in the Malaysia Cup.
The reason behind their drastic swing in fortunes is simple. They have found a way to start scoring -- and now they cannot stop.
In the past nine games, which included 3-1 FA Cup final loss to JDT, the Turtles have piled on 29 goals at an average of 3.2 per outing.
With Kipre Tchetche, Kpah Sherman, Faisal Abdul Halim and Manny Ott all capable of chipping in, it now almost does not matter how many Terengganu concede, for they are sure to score more than the opposition for the most part.