Ecuador took the lead right before half-time, albeit rather fortuitously. From a free-kick, Japan goalkeeper Tomoya Wakahara punched his clearance directly into teammate Kyosuke Tagawa's face and the ball ricocheted into the goal.

Two of the three Asian expressions of interest could see the 2021 edition co-hosted as Bahrain Football Association, Saudi Arabian Football Federation and United Arab Emirates Football Association have indicated theirs will be a joint bid.

The Myanmar Football Federation and Football Association of Thailand are also keen on co-hosting the 2021 edition while Indonesia also expressed their intention to bid before the May 21 closing date.

The Brazilian Football Association and Peruvian Football Association submitted individual expressions of interest.

That remarkable success did not come out of the blue. For the last few years, Qatari football officials have overseen an in-depth effort to raise standards, most notably through the Aspire Academy, which has already produced several players for the country's international teams – including the squad now in Poland for the FIFA U-20 World Cup.

Qatar kick off their bid against Nigeria on Friday, and their youngsters do not have to look far for inspiration. They will have their senior colleagues at the forefront of their minds, as left-back Ahmed Al Minhali explained to FIFA.com in an exclusive interview.

Join the-AFC.com as we detail all you need to know about Khalid Abdullah Atawi’s charges as they prepare to face 2013 champions France, Mali and Panama in Group E.

Join the-AFC.com as we take a closer look at the West Asian nation ahead of their Group D encounters with Nigeria, Ukraine and the United States of America.

Join the-AFC.com as we detail all you need to know about the East Asians as they prepare to face two-time winners Portugal, South Africa and six-time champions Argentina in Group F.

Join the-AFC.com as we detail all you need to know about the 1999 runners-up ahead of their eagerly anticipated Group B campaign.