The 26-year-old, who has missed his country’s opening two matches at the Continental extravaganza, arrived in the Emirates after playing for club side Tottenham Hotspur in their English Premier League encounter with Manchester United a day earlier.

Kim Min-jae scored the only goal of a game Bento’s team dominated to ensure the Koreans join China in advancing to the Round of 16 from Group C. The two nations face off on Wednesday with top spot in the group on the line.

“We didn’t make a very good performance but I think that we won the game fairly,” said the Portuguese coach, who has now won five and drawn three of his first eight games in charge of the Taeguk Warriors.

“Even though we didn’t have a good performance we created a lot of opportunities to score and I think that we could have finished the game earlier. But with 1-0 the opponents have the hope to score and until the end we suffered a little bit because we didn’t score the second goal.”

Kim Min-jae headed home four minutes before the half-time break to give Paulo Bento’s side a second straight single-goal win at the tournament and ensure they join China PR in qualifying for the Round of 16 from Group C.

The two nations face off to determine who will finish in pole position in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday while Kyrgyz Republic meet the Philippines with both sides looking for their first points of the tournament to keep their slim hopes of progressing alive.

Genki Haraguchi’s first-half penalty helped the Samurai Blue seal a narrow 1-0 win over Oman on Sunday, a result which – along with Uzbekistan’s subsequent defeat of Turkmenistan – saw Japan go through to the Round of 16.

Although happy with his side’s progress thus far, the former Sanfrecce Hiroshima boss was quick to add that there are other nations emerging who he feels also have the potential to become champions of Asia.

Almoez Ali scored four in a comprehensive victory for the West Asians, who moved to the top of Group E ahead of their meeting with Saudi Arabia on Thursday, which will determine who claims pole position in the standings.

Ali put the Qataris in front after just nine minutes and the Al Duhail striker doubled the advantage just two minutes later to effectively end the resistance of DPR Korea. Boualem Khoukhi and Abdelkarim Hassan also put their names on the scoresheet as Sanchez’s side cruised to victory.

Goals from Javokhir Sidikov and Jaloliddin Masharipov, as well as a brace from Eldor Shomurodov in the first half, secured the Central Asians a 4-0 win over Turkmenistan on Sunday to send them to the top of the Group F standings on six points.

Up next for Uzbekistan are four-time champions Japan, also on six points, in a top-of the-table clash on Thursday to decide the group winners.

Exactly eight years ago to the day, and with Jhingan now an established member of the side, the two teams will lock horns once more with qualification to the knockout stage on the line and India knowing if they avoid defeat they will most probably secure their place in the last 16.

For Jhingan, meanwhile, the game will carry extra significance as he recalls only too well the pain of defeat in the continental competition. And with the chance to progress to the knockout rounds in his side’s own hands, the Kerala Blasters man is truly realising a lifelong dream.