Australia were the faster to settle and controlled the early possession and created scoring opportunities but the opening goal eluded them.

Korea Republic were happy to sit back but looked dangerous on the break as Hong Yun-sang showed when dribbled past several defenders en route to goal but he pulled his effort high off target in the fourth minute.

The focus was on Iraq but it was Afghanistan who started the brighter and in the opening seconds, Ali Zahidi latched onto the ball following Abdul Munir Hazrati’s pass but the midfielder fired his effort over the bar.

Iraq responded brilliantly as just two minutes later, Hussein Sadeq Rasetmee found the net with a brilliant lob over Afghanistan goalkeeper Mashal Musaferzada.

Thailand took the lead just 45 seconds into the match through Waragon Thongbai, but the young Samurai Blue didn’t flinch and found the equaliser five minutes later through Araki Ryotaro.

“Even though we conceded inside the first minute, we still had a whole 90 minutes left to play so we were quite confident of scoring. Even when they scored first, we stayed calm and steady,” said Japan captain Riku.

Lim, a former Bayern Munich Junior Team coach, was brought back in 2013 to lead the current Malaysian U-16 squad, which is a product of the collaboration between the Football Association of Malaysia and the National Football Development Programme, which aims to develop budding talents in the country.

DPR Korea took the lead through Kim Kang-song’s 20th minute strike, before Ahmad Semreen leveled the scores 11 minutes later but Jordan trailed again going into the break with Kang-song’s 45th minute goal.

Jordan eventually equalised in the second half with Amer Rasem Adel Jamous finding the back of the net in the 75th minute.

Both sides began the match cautiously, but DPR Korea held the lion’s share of possession with their heavy man-to-man marking and constantly forced Jordan into a defensive position with their crosses into the final third, forcing goalkeeper Osama Raed Mahmoud into making multiple saves.

The East Asians had a scare in the 12th minute when Jordan’s Mohannad Jehad Ahmad Semreen moved out a counter-attack that saw him surging from his end of the field to the other end, outmaneuvering several Korean defenders but his last ditch pass into the box failed to find any of his teammates.

In the 19th minute, DPR Korea were awarded a free-kick from 30 metres out when Jordan’s Obada Omar Alruzi fouled Kim Kang-song.

Defender Kim Jin-hyok’s free-kick bounced off the Jordanian wall, but the deflected ball landed right in front of Kang-song, who then let loose a strike from near the penalty spot to claim the lead a minute later.

In the opening minutes of the match, both sides were eager to find the back of the net as they exchanged possession with every run, promising an exciting match ahead.

In the 14th minute, Oman’s Al Azhar Hamza Al Balushi lobbed the ball over the Yemeni defence to find an unmarked Qusai, who calmly slid the ball past goalkeeper Abdullah Abdulhakim Al Sadi, bounced off the upright and into the goal for the lead.

The goal served as a confidence booster for Yaqoub Saud Saif Al Sabahi’s side as they moved with a spring in their step and continuously threatened with their attacks from the flank.

And in one such instance in the 35th minute, Yemen’s defence cracked under the Omani pressure and Fahad Said Al Rasbi sent a pinpoint cross into the box that saw Qusai secure his second goal of the night with a fine header.