Given the ever-evolving nature and the prevailing challenges caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the AFC Executive Committee acknowledged the travel restrictions in organising the inspection visits to the Bidding Member Associations, which forms an essential part of the bidding process for the selection of Asia’s most prestigious men’s football tournament.

A fast start by Brazil saw Marta and Debinha give the two-time Olympic silver medallists a 2-0 lead before China PR asserted themselves in the tie under the hot afternoon sun.

Brazil, however, added goals through Marta, Andressa Alves and Beatriz late in the second half for the emphatic win over Jia Xiuquan’s Steel Roses .

The Japanese have their sights sets on winning a first medal since 1968, when striker Kunishige Kamamoto led the country to the bronze medal in Mexico City with a 2-0 win over the competition’s hosts.

Moriyasu’s side have impressed during the build-up to the competition and go into the meeting with the South Africans unbeaten in their last five games, during which time they have claimed some impressive results.

Appearing in men’s football at the Games for the first time since Beijing 2008, the Olyroos are considered outsiders in a daunting group featuring Argentina, Spain and Egypt.

The fixture marks the start of a challenging group for the young Green Falcons who were also pitted against both finalists from Rio 2016 - Brazil and Germany.

Coach Kim Hak-bum's side will want to kick off their Group B campaign with a winning start but they will need to improve upon defensive issues that arose in their two warm-up matches against Argentina and France last week.

In both games, errors at the back presented their opponents with opportunities that they did not spurn and the absence of gifted centre-back Kim Min-jae, who was originally selected as one of the three overage players but was not released by club Beijing FC, seems to have hamstrung the defence.

The 2022 edition will once again blaze a new trail in the development of the women’s game in Asia with an expanded 12 teams set to compete for Continental supremacy – four more than the last four editions – and will feature a newly-introduced Quarter-final stage for the first time in Asian women’s football history.