A brace from Yuya Osako and a late strike from Genki Haraguchi took the Japanese into the tournament decider, where they will face either the United Arab Emirates or Qatar at Zayed Sports City Stadium on Friday.

“Iran have had great results in the past and we knew they were going to be a very tough opponent, but the players had prepared well and they showed great fighting spirit,” said Moriyasu, who also led Japan to the final of the Asian Games in Indonesia last summer."

Osako, who was included from the start for the first time since sustaining a hip injury in Japan’s opening game, put the four-time champions in front 11 minutes after the interval before doubling his side’s lead midway through the half from the penalty spot.

The Werder Bremen striker’s double – and Genki Haraguchi’s late third - sent his nation into their fifth AFC Asian Cup final since 1992 and they will face the winners of the semi-final between the United Arab Emirates and Qatar in the decider on Friday.

After reaching the quarter-finals in 2000 and 2011, Tuesday’s encounter represents Qatar’s first foray into the last four, with Sanchez’s charges, who have yet to concede a goal, amassing five successive victories during their historic campaign.

With a title showdown now just 90 minutes away, and despite the rarefied atmosphere that accompanies any semi-final showdown, the Spanish tactician is backing his players to continue their fine form against the 1996 finalists.

The host nation needed a late Ahmed Khalil penalty to secure a 1-1 draw in their opening game, before beating India and sharing the spoils with Thailand as they claimed pole position in Group A.

A narrow win over Kyrgyz Republic in the Round of 16 duly followed, while a far more dynamic performance against Australia ultimately ensured Zaccheroni’s charges a place in the last four.

Injury clouds for hosts; Two in, two out for Qatar

It will be a suspenseful wait for the Emirati team sheet to be revealed, but Ismail Al Hammadi and captain Fares Juma are expected to start despite suffering knocks in a bruising quarter-final win over Australia.

While the fitness of those players remains under a cloud, Alberto Zaccheroni will be able to call on Khamis Esmaeel, who served a suspension against the Socceroos.

Bassam Al Rawi and Abdelaziz Hatim, Qatar's goal scoring heroes from their two previous knockout stage wins, are both suspended, but Omer Madibo and 2018 AFC Player of the Year Abdelkarim Hassan will be welcomed back with open arms.

Outstanding disciplinary records were erased following the quarter-finals, meaning only a red card in Monday's match will result in a player missing the final.

Emirati supporters were justifiably concerned when injury ruled dynamic playmaker Omar Abdulrahman out of the tournament, but for the second edition running, Mabkhout has emerged as the UAE's attacking focal point.

The Al Jazira forward was the star marksman of the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, finishing as the top scorer with five goals, and has netted in the last four matches of the host nation's run to the semi-finals of this year's tournament.

The Al Sadd midfielder has shone brightly throughout the tournament, one which has seen Qatar scale new heights at the Continent’s premier event thanks to a run of five successive victories.

Despite already going further in the competition than any previous Qatari side had done, Al Haydos is adamant that Felix Sanchez’s charges are still hungry for more.