“Accepting defeats like this sometimes is difficult but it’s also a consequence of how we started the game - which was too slow.”

Head coach Jose Morais said Sharjah FC only had themselves to blame after defeat to PFC Nasaf meant the end of their campaign.

“I didn't expect to win by such a result. If I had thought two hours beforehand that we would win like this, it would have been difficult.”

Al Ahli Saudi FC head coach Matthias Jaissle admitted he was shocked the defending champions allowed Shabab Al Ahli to pull three goals back after having raced to a 4-0 lead.

“I said before that I need all the players, so the most important thing is for the players to perform well in training so I can give them the opportunity to participate in matches."

Simone Inzaghi saw plenty of positives from Al Hilal SFC’s win against Al Wahda FC which saw the Saudi Arabia side top the West Zone standings for the second season running.

“This was my first match with the team and this victory is very important for us. Although we are finishing our campaign in this competition, it’s positive to do so with three points – that’s very good for the team.”

Bouly Sambou was delighted after his brace paved the way for a 3-2 win for Al Shorta in their final match of the competition.

“We played a very good game and our performance was outstanding. We showed the best version of ourselves and I’m also very happy with my goal."

Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh hailed Tractor FC’s top-notch performance after they concluded the league phase with a 2-0 win against Al Gharafa SC to finish third.

“This win will be meaningless if we don't improve in the coming period and maintain this approach."

Head coach Sergio Conceicao reminded his Al Ittihad Club players on the importance of remaining focused for upcoming challenges.

“Very happy with the win and very happy with the two goals which puts us in a good position for the next round.”

Tete Yengi was delighted with his first start for FC Machida Zelvia after his brace helped fire the Japanese side to a top place finish in the East Zone.

“If we had lost the match, it would have felt very harsh because overall we played a good game. In the end we’re happy with the draw."

Head coach Bartosch Gaul praised his Sanfrecce Hiroshima side’s resilience after they fought back from two goals down to hold FC Seoul and finish third in the standings.

“We wanted to qualify by playing our style of football and game by game, the players are doing that."

Mark Jackson was proud with how Buriram United expressed themselves in sealing qualification.

“It was an amazing performance. This victory is very important for us because it represents another step forward in our journey.”

Johor Darul Ta’zim head coach Xisco Munoz praised his players for continuing to believe in the 1-0 win over Vissel Kobe which secured qualification for the Malaysian side.

“Although we didn’t manage to take all three points today, we achieved our objective of qualifying for the Round of 16.”

Gangwon head coach Chung Kyung-ho expressed pride after debutants Gangwon FC secured a place in the Round of 16 with a battling draw against Melbourne City FC.

“Our journey ends here, but once we return to Korea Republic, the K League starts on the 28th, so we need to shift our focus and prepare for that. There are still many areas we need to work on."

Head coach Kim Hyeon-seog vowed to work on Ulsan HD FC's weaknesses after the former champions suffered elimination.