Sweden have been standout performers so far, advancing to the last eight with three wins in Group G which began with an 3-0 emphatic victory over reigning world champions United States, before defeating Australia 4-2 to seal their place in the quarter-finals with a match to spare. New Zealand were beaten 2-0 in their final group match.

Japan, meanwhile, had to dig deep in Group E to progress to the quarter-finals as one of the two best third-placed teams. Their persistence was tested against the Canadians in their group opener, where Japan had to fight back from a sixth minute deficit with Mana Iwabuchi scoring the equaliser in the 84th minute before falling 1-0 to Great Britain. A place in the last eight stage was only confirmed with a 1-0 win over Chile.

The Real Madrid playmaker was on target for the third game in a row to push Japan towards a 4-0 win over the French and steer Japan into a last eight meeting with New Zealand at Kashima Stadium on Saturday.

The East Asians went into the match at the Yokohama International Stadium needing just a point to progress to the last eight and knowing that a win would almost certainly see them finish on top of Group B. From the moment Hwang Ui-jo scored a 12th-minute penalty there seemed little doubt.

The Olyroos only needed to avoid defeat against the African champions, but they were outplayed from the opening whistle, falling behind to Ahmed Rayan’s goal just before half-time before having their fate sealed by a late Amar Hamdy strike.

The defeat ends a campaign which began with a stunning 2-0 victory of Argentina, and led to claims from within the Australian camp that the team believed they could win a gold medal, with back-to-back defeats ultimately sending Arnold’s side to the bottom of Group C.

Qatar, the reigning AFC Asian Cup champions, are within reach of playing in their second continental cup final in three years and despite the United States harbouring dreams of winning the Gold Cup for a seventh time, Felix Sanchez's side are determined to prolong their journey in the tournament.

Consequently, the variance in the number of teams across the different groups of the AFC U23 Asian Cup Uzbekistan 2022™ Qualifiers East Zone has now reached more than one, with just Japan and Cambodia the remaining teams in Group K, as a result of DPR Korea’s withdrawal.

The 28-year-old has signed a two-year contract with the 13-time UAE League champions who are reinforcing their squad ahead of the 2021-22 season.