The former Socceroos striker praised his young charges after Ramu Najjarine's superb 89th minute effort gave them a share of the spoils despite falling behind to Jeon Se-jin's goal in steamy conditions at the Patriot Chandrabhaga Stadium..

"I'm extremely proud of the playing group," he said. "The boys that started, and the ones that came on all made an impact and that was important.

"Everyone gave their maximum, and although we did fall behind, we showed our character. Players still wanted the ball and they believed in getting the result from the game."

The Koreans had seemingly been cruising towards three points in the Group C clash, but Najjarine's late heroics denied them an opening win after the impressive Jeon Se-jin had given them a 52nd minute lead.

The result keeps both sides' hopes of reaching the AFC U-19 Championship quarter-finals well and truly alive, with crucial fixtures to follow on Monday.

A superb header from Vietnam's Nham Manh Dung had given his side an early lead, but Jordan quickly replied through Mohammed Atieh and spurned a series of chances before Al Zubi popped up to secure a deserved win in the 89th minute.

Vietnam started strongly and, with winger Le Xuan Tu prominently involved in the build-up, Dung ensured they were rewarded when he rose high above the Jordanian defence to steer a precise header in at the far post and give the Southeast Asians a 21st minute lead.

The 16-year-old enjoyed the experience of a lifetime on Thursday, making his international football debut in front of a roaring crowd in the illustrious Gelora Bung Karno stadium in Jakarta.

Not bad for a first trip to Asia.

By virtue of his mother's heritage, Sandberg is part of the Chinese Taipei squad participating in the AFC U-19 Championship Finals for the first time in 44 years, and he clearly enjoyed his opening bow on the international stage, despite his side's 3-1 loss to host nation, Indonesia.

Despite the eventual scoreline, Japan were made to dig deep by their regional rivals who came from to two goals down to level matters towards the end of a frenetic first period.

However, three more Japanese goals after the break – including a stunning Takefusa Kubo free-kick – eventually proved the difference, with Kageyama delighted by how the reigning champions reacted to their earlier setback.

Trailing 3-1 in the dying embers of the match, strikes from Korawich Tasa and Suphanat Mueanta on 87 and 94 minutes respectively ultimately ensured a share of the spoils for Thailand – a last gasp revival that clearly delighted the tactician.

“The first thing that I want to do is thank the players who kept going right until the end,” declared Ithsara.

“When we conceded the third goal I thought the team reacted in a very good and positive way and for that they should definitely be praised.

“We managed to get a draw thanks to the way they reacted, and we are happy with that result from our first game.”

The Group A result on Friday leaves the Bruno Pinheiro-coached side in a precarious position, with another loss to host nation Indonesia on Sunday potentially spelling the end of their challenge for a second Asian U-19 title, but Waad believes Qatar's story is only just beginning.

"(Against United Arab Emirates) we played a very good match and performed very well," said the 19-year-old, whose precise corner kick led to Qatar's goal in the 3-1 defeat.