“It’s always difficult to start a tournament with a defeat,” he said. “Now we need to win the next two games.”

The 2023 quarter-finalists qualified for China 2025 as one of best five second-placed teams, and Meindertsma knows his side will have to up their game against three-time winners DPR Korea.

“We must analyse what went wrong and what went well, then improve - especially in our style of play,” he said. “Our focus must be at its highest and we need to secure the three points.”

DPR Korea had to come from behind in their 1-1 draw against Iraq, with substitute Kim Jin Song pouncing on a defensive lapse in the 62nd minute to give the East Asians a share of the spoils.

With a place at the FIFA U-20 World Cup Chile 2025 on the line, head coach Jon Chol will need his charges to bounce back from their stalemate and reproduce the form they displayed in the Qualifiers, where they comfortably topped their group with three wins and a draw. 

Venue: Longhua Cultural and Sports Centre Stadium (Shenzhen)

Kick-off: Sunday, 15:00 (UTC+8)