“The first match is always difficult and the opponents were difficult, especially on the flanks but we succeeded in opening the scoring, which boosted our confidence and we managed to score the second goal,” said Matari.

"We take each match as it comes. Our goal isn't just to win this match, but to win every match we play, especially as we are looking to secure qualification to the World Cup and compete for the title on home soil."

Head coach Mario da Silva felt luck was in favour of his team with China PR custodian Yihesan Yilamu’s accidental slip giving Matari the opportunity to score but was otherwise pleased with the overall performance of his side.

“I think the game was defined by some individual mistakes,” said da Silva. “It turned out that China’s goalkeeper made a mistake before ours, which gave us a bit more comfort to open the scoring. 

“It happened right after a mistake of our own in the buildup, but we handled it well. We had a 2-0 lead, and after that, we managed to control the game well. In the end, we conceded a goal that was really bad but it didn’t matter.”

China PR head coach Kenichi Uemura was disappointed that his players were not able to exploit the openings as well as the inability to show variation in their attacks.

“The opponents' first line and two forwards were pressing high, but even though their midfield and defensive lines were dropping back, we couldn’t keep the ball or win the second balls,” said Uemura. "We just kept repeating that pattern, getting a bit panicked.”

Saudi Arabia will seal a quarter-final spot, which also comes with qualification to the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025, if they beat Thailand and China PR do not beat Uzbekistan in their respective matches on Sunday.