“Although we won the game, it was a tough affair,” said Moriyasu. “We were defending for a long time, and then we scored two goals through set-pieces. I am very happy to win.

“This Chinese team was completely different from the team that lost 0-7 in the last game in Japan. They showed great potential from the beginning.” 

“Coach (Branko) Ivankovic made every player play to their full potential. If the Chinese team had scored the first goal, the result might have been different.

“Although we can qualify for the World Cup in March, our target is to win the World Cup.”

First half goals from Koki Ogawa and Ko Itakura gave Japan the platform to secure their fifth win of the campaign, and even though Lin Liangming reduced the deficit early in the second half, a second from Ogawa sealed the points for Japan.

Having seen his China PR charges produce a battling performance, Ivankovic was left with mixed feelings. 

“Congratulations to Japan for the victory but I'm sure they will feel that this is not an easy victory and it was achieved with a lot of intensity,” said Ivankovic.

“I'm very happy with the outstanding performance of the players and I hope the fans can be proud of what the players put in today. From the start of this training camp until today, there have been many difficulties - especially with injuries - so I'm very thankful to every one of the players."

“We know that the opponent is very strong so I'm very happy with the execution of our tactics. From the process of this game, you can see the encouraging signs. Of course we tried to press and put pressure on the Japanese team but they have high technical skills to handle that, however, what we showed is a good sign of what we can do in future games.”

Defeat for China PR left them rooted at the bottom of the standings but their fate is still very much in their hands as second-placed Australia only hold a one-point advantage over the four sides below them.