A packed-out Thammasat Stadium roared Nishino’s team on against Saad Al Shehri’s side, but in the end a 78th minute penalty from Abdullah Al Hamdan was enough to take the West Asian nation into the last four and break Thai hearts.

Thailand were making their first-ever appearance in the knockout phase of the competition and Nishino was hopeful that Thai football would learn from their involvement in the latter stages of the tournament.

Al Hamdan struck decisively from the spot after he had been pulled back on his way into the area, with referee Ahmed Al Kaf awarding the penalty after confirmation of the offence by the Video Assistant Referee.

The goal was a cruel blow for Akira Nishino’s team, who had matched the Saudis throughout the preceding 78 minutes in front of a sell-out crowd as both teams battled to keep their hopes of both the title and a trip to the Olympic Games alive.

Substitute Al Hassan Toure’s goal in the 101st minute of a closely-fought encounter helped guarantee Australia’s progress – and the nation’s best-ever finish at the tournament – on a night when the Olyroos were forced to overcome stiff resistance to ensure their ticket through to the next round.

While the result brought heartbreak for the valiant Syrians, it leaves Graham Arnold’s charges now facing a last four encounter with either Korea Republic or Jordan – the winners of which will be guaranteed a place at Tokyo 2020.

The Koreans won the gold medal at the Asian Games in Jakarta in 2018 – with Kim at the helm – and have also qualified for every edition of the Olympic Games since 1988 when Seoul hosted the event as the country continues to amass a remarkable record at this level.

And while victory over Jordan would see them move one step closer to a place at Tokyo 2020 and a first-ever AFC U23 Championship title, the veteran coach stressed his country’s previous performances would count for nothing once the two teams are out on the pitch.

Drulovic’s team slipped to a defeat against Maciej Skorza’s side in a friendly in November and the Serbian coach is hoping for a better result at Rajamangala Stadium as he looks to keep Uzbekistan’s dreams of defending the title and earning a berth at the Tokyo Olympic Games alive.

Long-range screamers, stunning free-kicks and superb team moves, the AFC U23 Championship Thailand 2020 group stage saw goals from all angles and distances to delight lovers of Asian football across the Continent.

The poll will end at 12:00 (UTC 7:00) on Monday.

Finding their way into the hearts of thousands of supporters in Thailand are the competition’s two fan zones at the Rajamangala Stadium and Thammasat Stadium in the country’s capital of Bangkok, which has been designed to unleash the passion for football and to celebrate Asia’s stars of tomorrow.