Li Ying’s brace and a superb Ma Jun effort secured a second successive group stage victory for China, underlining their position at the top of Group A and leaving Eyjolfsson to reflect on a job well done as the Steel Roses became the first side other than France to qualify for next year's global extravaganza.

“We are proud to have qualified for the World Cup 2019 and to be the first Asian team to do so,” declared the Icelandic tactician.

“We have played well at the AFC Women’s Asian Cup and deserve to be among the best teams from Asia. We now hope to continue playing well at the AFC Women’s Asian Cup and that we continue to win games.

“It will be exciting to be one of the Asian teams competing against the best teams in the world in France in 2019.”

The early strike was just the beginning of a superb night’s work from the US-raised forward, who scored twice and posed a constant threat to help her side to an emphatic 6-1 win and take a giant leap towards the AFC Women’s Asian Cup semi-finals.

“Yeah, it absolutely was (the fastest goal). I don’t think I’ve scored anything faster than that in my entire life,” she beamed.

Thailand’s dominant win went a long way towards atoning for the 4-0 defeat the Southeast Asians suffered against China PR on Matchday One, with Suchawadee revealing her teammates had remained confident despite their earlier defeat.

“We knew going into the game against China that they were going to be pretty tough,” she explained.

Thailand’s comprehensive victory, which also sealed China PR’s place in the semi-finals and their ticket to France 2019, leaves the Southeast Asians knowing that they now only need to avoid losing to the Philippines on Matchday Three to match the achievements of their Chinese counterparts.

Amid a cacophony of noise, Thailand made a blistering start to the game and were ahead after only 16 seconds when Suchawadee Nildhamrong blocked Yasmeen Khair’s attempted back-pass before firing home past goalkeeper Salma Ghazal.

Worse was then to come for the host nation as Taneekarn Dangda made the most of yet more poor Jordanian defending to finish from an angle at the far post and double her side’s advantage in the sixth minute.

Despite a brief Jordan resurgence, Thailand duly added a third through Silawan Intamee’s delightful 39th minute free-kick, before Kanjana Sung-Ngoen made it four courtesy of a prodded finish which beat Ghazal’s despairing dive.

 

Li Ying’s brace and a superb Ma Jun effort crowned an efficient display by the table-topping East Asians as they followed up their Matchday One defeat of Thailand with a victory which, coupled with Thailand’s subsequent win over host nation Jordan, assured them of both progress at the continental gathering and a berth at France 2019.

Having impressed for large parts of their opening day success, China, minus long-term injury victim Xue Jiao and an ill Wang Shanshan, began brightly at the King Abdullah II Stadium, with midfield dynamo Ren Guixin unleashing a shot from distance which Kearra Bastes-Jones did well to tip over her bar.

As the Philippines slowly began to gain a foothold in the match, China broke the deadlock on 17 minutes when Ren turned Gu Yasha’s cross onto the post and Li Ying lashed home the resulting rebound from close-range to register her second goal of the tournament.

China, clearly buoyed by their early breakthrough, doubled their lead shortly after the half hour mark, Ma making the most of hesitant Philippines to beat Bastes-Jones with a fine drive from 12 yards.

In the last meaningful action of an intriguing first half, Hali Long reacted well to block a Ren shot and Zhang Rui forced Bastes-Jones into another fine stop as China threatened to extend their advantage ahead of the break.