Many of the Samurai Blue shone in the first round while, although departed, a number of players from Asia’s four other representatives grabbed the world’s attention. The-AFC.com has chosen five for you to vote for your standout performer.

With the first knockout round set to kick off today, the-AFC.com looks back at the five previous times when Asian sides have progressed beyond the group stage and into the business end of the global showpiece.

Coach Akira Nishino raised a few eyebrows after making six changes to the Samurai Blue line up that started both games against Colombia and Senegal and secured four points in the process.

Qualification to the next round was far from guaranteed, as a defeat to Colombia coupled with a Senegal win or draw against Poland in the other matchday three fixture would have seen Japan eliminated. Eventually, Nishino’s men went through thanks to a better disciplinary record despite the defeat as Colombia beat Senegal.

It was a thrilling final round of fixtures in which Korea Republic stunned Germany, the Islamic Republic of Iran came agonisingly close to beating Portugal and Saudi Arabia claimed three points against Egypt. The-AFC.com looks back at the standout facts and figures from a week that will live long in the memory.

The players, Son assured the fans, would not allow the result - which eliminated 2014 FIFA World Cup winners Germany - to make them complacent.

"I am sorry to our fans that we didn't live up to our promise of reaching the knockout stage," Son said. "But I think we all saw some hope from the win over Germany.

"However, the win over Germany doesn't mean we are satisfied. We will continue to work hard," said the Tottenham Hotspur forward.

Japan, who reached the second round for the third time in the nation’s history and will face Belgium on Monday in Rostov-on-Don, went through as Group H runners-up behind Colombia despite a 1-0 defeat at the hands of already-eliminated Poland in Volgograd.

Nishino’s men went into the Poland game as group leaders but scraped over the line, edging out Senegal by virtue of the fair play rule with fewer yellow cards than the African side. Colombia beat Senegal 1-0 in the other match to win the group.

With Colombia moving in front late in Samara, Nishino - who made six changes to his starting XI - ordered his team to run out the clock by holding on to possession as long as possible, knowing Japan were ahead of Senegal on the tiebreak.

The Saudi Arabian Football Federation announced the extension, which will see Pizzi in charge till the end of the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019, on Tuesday. 

Saudi Arabia snatched a late 2-1 victory over Egypt in their final 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Group A match on Monday.