Grant: Pohang Steelers have the belief to go all the way

Following a goalless first half, the defending champions took the lead on 52 minutes via Yun Il-lok’s close-range finish but after captain Won Du-jae’s 68th minute sending off Pohang took full advantage of their numerical superiority with Grant rising highest to head home the equaliser a minute before normal time.

Grant’s fellow defender Dave Bulthuis then missed the opening spot-kick for Ulsan with the remainder of the penalties coolly converted by both sides leaving captain Kang Sang-woo to net the winner for Pohang.

The Uzbek side were two goals up and seemingly cruising towards victory after half an hour, but an opportunistic strike from Gil Martins and a Jose Angel penalty saw the visitors force extra-time before Nasaf’s Serbian substitute sealed victory with an instinctive strike on the turn.

It’s nearly two decades since Kaluđerović took his first steps in the professional game, but there will have been few moments as crucial as this one, which sent Nasaf back to the final 10 years after they famously lifted the AFC Cup in 2011.

In a game of few chances, a Syntia Salha strike early in the second half proved decisive for the youthful Lebanese outfit, who atoned somewhat for Monday’s 4-0 loss to Myanmar by claiming only their second ever win in AFC Women’s Asian Cup qualifying.

Despite Wednesday’s victory, Lebanon still need to defeat Guam on Sunday, and see at least one other result fall their way, if they are to reach the Finals as Group D winners, while UAE also remain in contention despite their defeat, with both sides on three points after two matches.