“I am hungry to push myself to be the top scorer in the AFC Champions League," said Asani. "Of course, the best player in the competition is Ronaldo, and he scored two goals this week. He gives me the motivation to aim for the top scorer title.

"I want to give everything to this team because they deserve it, and the head coach also deserves it. This is the first time Gwangju are playing in this competition, and I hope we reach this level every year. 

“Without the team, it would be very difficult to score, and I want to thank everyone for this win.”

Head coach Lee Jung-Hyo expressed pride in his team's performance but stressed the need for sharper finishing.

“We created a lot of chances today but couldn’t convert them. That’s an area we must improve on, but we showed our Gwangju football. We need to focus on these improvements and score more goals.

“Everyone has the responsibility to represent the team, and I’m proud of their efforts. Some players need to step up more when given the opportunity to play. Everything I do is for the team and the players.”

For Shanghai Shenhua, it was another frustrating outing as head coach Leonid Slutskiy lamented his side’s lack of intensity.

“Today was very difficult for us. We didn’t play fast, and our movements were slow, making it hard to maintain the same level of intensity. We were always a step behind in every action. Our opponents played better and absolutely deserved this win,” said Slutskiy.

"We played at a different level of speed. If you are slow and don’t fight for the second ball, it doesn’t matter what type of tactics you use. When you don’t play often, you lose game rhythm, and that is very dangerous. The players were frustrated and didn’t fully understand the situation."

"The next game is at home, but we know it will be difficult to get three points. However, we also understand that we have no other choice but to try."

Gwangju take on another Chinese side in Shanghai Port FC on Tuesday with Shanghai Shenhua facing Ulsan HD FC of Korea Republic.