“The emotions are indescribable, but I’m very happy. We have gone past the quarter-final stage,” said Hong.

“Looking back at the match, in the first 10 minutes, some of our players showed signs of psychological tension, especially after conceding in the third goal. It affected our style of play.

“However, adjustments during half-time provided strong mental encouragement.

“There was still an entire half to play, and in football, anything can happen. As long as you push through all difficulties, both mentally and physically, and give your best performance – along with some tactical adjustments – we were able to make a remarkable comeback.”

Despite the heartbreak, Abu Dhabi head coach Sara Hassanien was proud of her players and was already looking forward to the future.

“Unfortunately we had a critical injury that turned the tide of the game. However, we are proud of our performance to be representing the UAE and the way that we played and fought until the very last minute, despite the result,” said  Hassanien.

“We walk off the field with our heads held high. This is just the beginning. We will be participating again, hopefully, in future editions of this tournament. 

“We are hungry to make it further and further in the future in terms of performance, in terms of results, and in terms of representation of women and girls in sports and football in West Asia and worldwide.”