Turki Al Ammar and Salem Al Saleem found the back of the net for the Saudis, who endured a tense finish after dominating most of the match, with Malaysia failing to register a shot on target until their 88th minute goal from Hadi Fayyadh.

The win puts the West Asian side in pole position in Group D as they look to reach a ninth FIFA U-20 World Cup by finishing as one of the top four teams in the competition.

The Southeast Asian side squandered an early lead and eventually fell to Mohammad Al Zubi's 89th-minute winner, five minutes after captain and defensive lynchpin Dang Van Toi suffered a game-ending injury.

Reflecting on the defeat, Tuan pinpointed the loss of his skipper as the turning point in the encounter.

"We lost the game, but for me both teams had a 50-50 chance and our problem came after 84 minutes when my captain was injured," he said. "Then in the last minute we lose a goal and we have no time to change it.

"We must wait to see what the doctor says (regarding Toi). Maybe tomorrow we'll have the results."

The former Socceroos striker praised his young charges after Ramu Najjarine's superb 89th minute effort gave them a share of the spoils despite falling behind to Jeon Se-jin's goal in steamy conditions at the Patriot Chandrabhaga Stadium..

"I'm extremely proud of the playing group," he said. "The boys that started, and the ones that came on all made an impact and that was important.

"Everyone gave their maximum, and although we did fall behind, we showed our character. Players still wanted the ball and they believed in getting the result from the game."

The Southeast Asians began their campaign on home soil with a 3-1 win over Chinese Taipei which saw the dynamic Witan Sulaeman scoring twice and impressive midfielder Egy Maulana Vikri catching the eye at Jakarta’s Gelora Bung Karno Stadium.

With Indonesia off to a winning start, Sjafri feels there is still more to come from his young charges who could secure their ticket through to the knockout phase with another three-point haul.

Despite the eventual scoreline, Japan were made to dig deep by their regional rivals who came from to two goals down to level matters towards the end of a frenetic first period.

However, three more Japanese goals after the break – including a stunning Takefusa Kubo free-kick – eventually proved the difference, with Kageyama delighted by how the reigning champions reacted to their earlier setback.

Trailing 3-1 in the dying embers of the match, strikes from Korawich Tasa and Suphanat Mueanta on 87 and 94 minutes respectively ultimately ensured a share of the spoils for Thailand – a last gasp revival that clearly delighted the tactician.

“The first thing that I want to do is thank the players who kept going right until the end,” declared Ithsara.

“When we conceded the third goal I thought the team reacted in a very good and positive way and for that they should definitely be praised.

“We managed to get a draw thanks to the way they reacted, and we are happy with that result from our first game.”

The Group A result on Friday leaves the Bruno Pinheiro-coached side in a precarious position, with another loss to host nation Indonesia on Sunday potentially spelling the end of their challenge for a second Asian U-19 title, but Waad believes Qatar's story is only just beginning.

"(Against United Arab Emirates) we played a very good match and performed very well," said the 19-year-old, whose precise corner kick led to Qatar's goal in the 3-1 defeat.