When faced with the challenge of Kaohsiung on Sunday - with both teams on six points going into the match, Naegohyang produced an exceptional start to lead 4-0 by the 22nd minute much to Ri’s delight.

“I think both teams showed an excellent performance in this match,” said Ri.

“In our team’s case, I believe the players gave their absolute best effort until the very last moment, in line with the team’s strategy.”

Naegohyang will now enter the Group Stage Draw on September 11 to find out who their next opponents will be.

Meanwhile, it was disappointment for Kaohsiung who had harboured hopes of reaching the Group Stage after picking up two wins but found Naegohyang to be a step too far.

The six points ultimately proved not enough for Kaohsiung to qualify as the best runners-up side, losing out on goal difference to Philippines’ Stallion Laguna FC but head coach Jose Luis remained upbeat about the future.

“We lost because they are a very good team from a country that is known to be very strong,” said Luis.

“We didn’t start well and made a lot of mistakes in the first 10-15 minutes and conceded a couple of goals. But overall I’m happy with the team because we recovered after that and this match is good for the future of our football.”