The result saw the Syria Football Association announcing the sacking of coach Bernd Stange a few hours later, with Fajr Ibrahim appointed as his replacement.

For Jordan, the win - courtesy of goals from Mousa Suleiman Al Tamari and Tareq Khattab - means Borkelmans and his team can finish no lower than second in Group B no matter the outcome of the remaining games in the group.

Australia face Palestine in Abu Dhabi on Friday before Jordan take on the Palestinians in their final group game on January 15, when the Socceroos go head-to-head with the Syrians in Al Ain.

Chanathip Songkrasin was the hero as the Southeast Asians secured a remarkable result after their 4-1 defeat to India on Matchday One.

For Bahrain, who drew 1-1 with the United Arab Emirates in their opener, the defeat means they will have to beat India in their final match to keep their knockout stage hopes alive.

A shock opening defeat to Jordan has left the holders in a potentially precarious position should they fail to win at Rashid Stadium, and Arnold said it was up to the players here and now to get their campaign back on track.

With Jordan having sealed one Round of 16 spot from the group after defeating Syria 2-0 on Thursday, Friday's match is a tie Australia can't afford to drop points in.

It is a friendship that started in the 1980s but China PR head coach Lippi and his Philippines counterpart Eriksson are both on a mission to ensure their teams enjoy a successful AFC Asian Cup.

China PR are on a better footing, coming from behind to defeat Kyrgyz Republic 2-1 on Matchday One while The Azkals were unfortunate to suffer a 1-0 defeat after a plucky display against Korea Republic.

Bassam Al Rawi and Almoez Ali scored for the Gulf side as they joined Saudi Arabia at the top of Group E after the first round of matches, with the pair’s goals capping an assured display in the second period by the Qataris.

Sanchez’s side were made to work for the points against a Lebanon team that was disciplined and well-drilled and the performance of their opponents came as little surprise to the Spanish coach.

Uzbekistan led 1-0 at the break following Odil Ahmedov's curling free-kick at the Sharjah Stadium.

Oman, however, clawed their way back into the game when substitute Muhsen Al Ghassani pulled his side level in the 72nd minute.

But with five minutes left, Eldor Shomurodov produced a moment of brilliance after coming on as a second-half substitute to ensure Cuper’s men got their UAE 2019 campaign off to a winning start.

The four-time Asian champions went into the break trailing 1-0 after Arslanmurat Amanov’s stunning long-range strike had threatened to earn Turkmenistan their first-ever victory at the continental Finals.

However, a much-improved Japanese display after the break – which saw Yuya Osako score twice and Ritsu Doan add a third – proved enough to seal all three points for Japan despite a late scare courtesy of Ahmet Atayev’s 79th minute penalty.