Uthai was visibly thrilled after the match, crediting the victory to a united effort.

“Thank you to everyone, from the players to the staff and everyone involved,” said Bunmo. “The players gave their all, and I’m very happy with the win. The most important thing is to go to the next round. The moment we scored, I knew we had qualified. That was what was going through my mind.”

“I want to thank the fans. They came here, pushed us hard to win this game and with that, I want to thank you all.”

For Jeonbuk, the evening ended in disappointment but interim head coach An Dae-hyun found positives in defeat after his side finished a point ahead of Muangthong.

“In the first half, I was concerned with the stamina of our team, and it was unfortunate to concede at the last minute under such humid weather conditions,” said An, who fielded a mix of experienced and young talents.

“It must have been a good experience for them and I’ve seen some factors they can improve on to become better. If they succeed, I believe they will help the senior team in the future."