The Koreans won the AFC Asian Cup in 1956 and 1960 – the first two editions of the competition – but have failed to add a third title to the pair in the 15 instalments of the tournament since.

But the Newcastle United midfielder believes Paulo Bento and his team have the tools to finally bring that run of disappointment to an end in the United Arab Emirates over the coming weeks.

Son, who only arrived in the Emirates earlier this week after being released by club side Tottenham Hotspur, proved to be a key figure throughout the victory, earning a successfully converted first-half penalty and then seeing Kim Min-Jae head home from his corner on 51 minutes.

The win was the Taeguk Warriors’ third in as many games, a run of form which has seen them finish top of Group C and leave Bento admitting that the addition of Son brings a whole host of positives.

Having already qualified for the Round of 16, Wednesday’s 2-0 win over regional rivals China PR made it three wins from three for Paulo Bento’s charges as they claimed pole position in Group C without conceding a goal.

Despite his side’s flying start, Son, who only joined the squad earlier this week, is adamant that the two-time champions of Asia remain determined to improve even further.

With both teams already through to the competition’s knockout phase, Son, who arrived in the Emirates earlier this week after being released by Tottenham Hotspur, captained the two-time champions of Asia as goals from Hwang Ui-jo and Kim Min-Jae saw the Taeguk Warriors set up a Round of 16 meeting against one of the best third-placed finishers from either Group A, B or F in Dubai next Tuesday.

After succumbing to their first defeat of the tournament, Marcello Lippi’s Chinese side finished second in the group and will now face Thailand in Al Ain on Sunday.

Almoez Ali scored twice to take his tally for the tournament to an impressive seven, as the Qataris recorded a third successive victory, a run of form that has yet to see them concede.

However, despite the flying start, Sanchez is adamant that Qatar’s impressive record will count for nothing come the knockout phase.

Oman defeated Turkmenistan 3-1 on Thursday, with Muhsen Al Ghassani and Mohammed Al Musallami scoring late goals after the Central Asian side had equalised through Altymyrat Annadurdyyev following Ahmed Al Mahaijri's opener in the 20th minute.

The three points meant Oman squeezed into the last 16 as one of the four best third-placed finishers, having fallen 2-1 and 1-0 to Uzbekistan and Japan respectively in their earlier Group F matches.

That, said, Verbeek, is the main reason why Oman deserve their spot in the Round of 16, their first in four appearances in the Finals.

The line-up was confirmed on Thursday, when Oman and Vietnam claimed the Round of 16's two remaining places, setting the scene for what promises to be an unforgettable climax to the largest ever edition of the competition.