The 1-0 defeat – 4.25’s first in six outings – nevertheless saw the Koreans retain their position at the top of the Group I standings, and they will now line-up alongside the winners of the ASEAN, Central and South in the next stage of the competition having performed superbly throughout the group stage.

The result, meanwhile, left Kitchee to reflect on what could have been after a campaign in which they garnered three wins and a draw en route to finishing five points behind their table-topping opponents.

After a slow start to proceedings at the Mong Kok Stadium, 4.25 fashioned the first genuine opportunity of the match when Pak Myong-song fired a free-kick narrowly wide of the target with 12 minutes on the clock.

Hang Yuan came into the tie seeking to record their first points of their AFC Cup campaign but were forced to defend deep as Tai Po’s aggression.

The win allowed the Bangladesh club entry into the next round while breaking Minerva Punjab’s streak of five draws in the tournament. With Chennaiyin FC locking horns with Manang Marshyangdi in the other fixture, the match was of key consequence for the fate of Group E. Eventually, defender Saighani’s goal ensured the result of the other match mattered little.

Although Abahani head coach Mario Lemos had said his team would try to stop Minerva Punjab, the Bangladesh side didn’t shy away from attacking from the start.

The win, however, was not enough for Chennaiyin to finish as group winners, as Bangladesh's Abahani Limited Dhaka clinched top spot after beating Minerva Punjab 1-0 in the other Group E tie.

Leading 1-0 from last week’s first leg, Binh Duong performed admirably throughout Wednesday's return fixture, as Wander Luiz’s fifth goal of the campaign in a 2-1 defeat ultimately helped set up a showdown with domestic rivals Hanoi FC who had beaten Ceres Negros FC a day earlier.

A second-half own goal and an Aaron Evans effort briefly gave Makassar a glimmer of hope, but it counted for nothing in the end as the Continental debutants bowed out following an impressive campaign.

The 27-year-old Van Quyet led by example, providing the assist for Pape Omar Faye's opener before scoring a vital second himself from close range.

Substitute Curt Dizon did pull one back for the visitors with five minutes remaining, but the hosts were able to see out the tie and secure a place in the next round of the tournament for the first time since 2014 when, under the AFC Cup’s previous format, they reached the quarter-finals.

Coming into the home second leg with a three-goal disadvantage, Al Jazeera were determined to show their fighting spirit from the get-go. And indeed, they started with a bang.

Within five minutes of the start, the Jordanians’ attacking intent was rewarded by an early goal. Feras Shelbaieh got on the end of a cross and sent it back across the mouth of goal first-time for Abdullah Al Attar who controlled, shielded the ball and fired into the roof of the net to put Al Jazeera in front.

Facing persistent attacks from the home side, Al Jaish slowly regrouped and tried to hit on the counter. Ahmad Ashkar led a swift attacking move, advancing into Al Jazeera’s box and firing from an angle, but goalkeeper Ahmad Abdelsattar made the save.