Vidmar, who famously led Adelaide United to the final of the competition in 2008, was most recently head coach of Singapore Premier League side Lion City Sailors and he previously coached BG Pathum United when they were known as Bangkok Glass in the 2016-17 campaign.

The Spain-based striker put the Chinese on their way to collecting all three points in front of a crowd of 29,222 at Suzhou Olympic Sports Center as Li Tie’s side closed the gap on leaders Syria to five points with three games remaining.

The Chinese next face the Maldives on June 3 while Guam, who have yet to claim a point in the second round of qualifying, take on the Philippines.

With five straight losses, the Southeast Asians can no longer finish top two in a fascinating group which also features Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and United Arab Emirates. The disappointing results not only cost coach Simon McMenemy his job, but also dented the team's confidence.

The new boss in charge is none other than former Shin Tae-yong, who guided Korea Republic to a famous 2-0 defeat of world champions Germany at Russia 2018. With the memory of that amazing victory still fresh in mind, Dimas is hoping that Indonesia can produce similar heroics under Shin.

The Japanese also sealed their spot at the Finals of the AFC Asian Cup China 2023 as Group F winners with the victory, their sixth in a row in the current phase of qualifying, as Moriyasu’s side confirmed their progress to the next phase with two games remaining.

Star-studded hosts Korea Republic will undoubtedly begin as favourites, although Lebanon held the Taeguk Warriors earlier in the campaign while an ever-improving Turkmenistan already have points on the board, too. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, are still aiming to get off the mark.

With plenty to play for over what promises to be an action-packed two weeks, the-AFC.com shines the spotlight on the story so far, the teams and players involved, and much more.

Runaway leaders Japan would need to suffer an unprecedented collapse on home soil to squander top spot, but the race for second is well and truly alive, with Tajikistan, Kyrgyz Republic and Myanmar all battling for the chance to advance as one of the best runners-up.

Dreams are at stake on the road to FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC Asian Cup China 2023, and we’ve got all you need to know about the matches ahead, including the venues, state of play and the key men to keep an eye on.

With all teams having played five matches already with the exception of the UAE, who have played four, the group featuring four Southeast Asian sides remains wide open, making for a tasty viewing over the next three weeks. The-AFC.com previews the upcoming action and the players to watch ahead of the Qualifiers’ resumption on June 3.