"We are very happy to qualify for the quarter-finals,” said Al Youbi. “I am proud of this important stage we have reached, but at the same time, we haven’t achieved anything yet because our main goal is to fulfil our dream of reaching the World Cup.

"It was indeed a tough match against Iraq, full of challenges, but we were fortunate thanks to the efforts of my teammates."

"We are looking forward to the quarter-final with great enthusiasm and aim to prove our worth by advancing further, hoping to reach the semi-finals and eventually qualify for the World Cup."

Al Youbi scored what turned out to be the winner in the 28th minute as Saudi Arabia finished second in Group B behind former champions Japan and will take on hosts Thailand in the quarter-finals.

There wasn’t too much disappointment in the Iraq camp despite ending their campaign with three defeats as forward Salam Ibrahim feels there are a lot of positives his team can take from this tournament.

“It was a valuable experience for the Iraqi national team in the tournament,” said Ibrahim. “The draw placed us in an extremely tough group, but we were strong competitors, losing by just one goal in all three matches.

"Iraqi beach soccer is heading in the right direction, we have outstanding players, and I believe that Iraq will be a serious contender in the coming years."