Khalil’s 103rd minute penalty proved the difference on a night when the UAE had twice gone ahead only to be pegged back by their resilient Central Asian opponents.

The 27-year-old’s spot-kick success was his second of the competition following his penalty in the final moments of the UAE’s 1-1 draw with Bahrain on Matchday One.

In truth, Alberto Zaccheroni’s side struggled for large periods of a game which saw Khalil’s success from 12 yards seal their progress only after Kyrgyz Republic had twice come from behind following Khamis Esmaeel’s early opener at Abu Dhabi's Zayed Sports City Stadium.

On a night when tournament debutants Kyrgyz Republic shone brightly, the UAE’s victory sets up a quarter-final showdown with Australia in Al Ain on Friday, and maintained Emirati hopes of claiming a first-ever Continental crown.

Ryan kept out spot-kicks from Islom Tukhtakhujaev and Dostonbek Khamdamov as Australia won the shootout 4-2 following a goalless draw at Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium to set up a last eight meeting with hosts the United Arab Emirates.

Arnold was quick to praise the 26-year-old, who was instrumental in Australia’s title win on home soil four years ago and is proving to be just as vital to his team’s hopes at the current tournament.

Ryan kept out spot-kicks from Islom Tukhtakhujaev and Dostonbek Khamdamov to leave Mathew Leckie to score the winning penalty that took Graham Arnold’s side into the next round of the competition.

Neither side had been able to find the back of the net during the previous 120 minutes, leaving Ryan to provide the heroics for his team, who now face the United Arab Emirates - who defeated Kyrgyz Republic 3-2 in their last 16 tie - in the next round.

Speaking exclusively to the-AFC.com, the rising defensive star discussed the arrival of Son Heung-min, the valuable lessons of an Asian Games gold medal, and his lofty ambitions for the tournament ahead of his side's quarter-final clash with Bahrain.

The West Asians will be making their first appearance in the knockout stage since 2004, ending that campaign with their best-ever AFC Asian Cup achievement of fourth place. 

Bahrain booked their spot in the UAE 2019 last 16 as one of the four best third-placed teams, courtesy of a 1-1 draw with host nation UAE and a last-gasp 1-0 win over India. 

After a week of recuperation and preparation, Soukup believes his side can take on the two-time champions if his players perform as they did against India.

Both teams advanced to the knockout stage in impressive form, with Qatar winning their three Group E matches while Iraq qualified with two wins and a draw, against the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Qatar head coach Felix Sanchez and Iraqi counterpart Srecko Katanec, however, said their group stage record did not mean a thing now, especially after Jordan having been knocked out by Vietnam.

Jordan advanced from Group A without conceding a single goal but the one they did against Vietnam ultimately ended their campaign as the Southeast Asian side won the penalty shootout 4-2 on Sunday.