Both teams, who contested the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 final which Qatar ultimately won, have shown great spirit against South America's best teams.

Qatar began their Group B campaign by fighting back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Paraguay before a late Duvan Zapata goal denied them a point against Colombia in their next match.

Japan, playing as an invited team, are in Brazil for the Copa America with a squad largely consisting players likely to feature in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

After opening their Group C campaign with a 4-0 defeat against Chile, Moriyasu's team showed great determination to match six-time Copa America champions Uruguay.

Koji Miyoshi twice gave Japan the lead only for Luis Suarez and Jose Jimenez to pull the South Americans level.

Miyoshi twice fired Japan into the lead only for Uruguay to level through a penalty from Luis Suarez and a second-half header from Jose Gimenez.

The draw means Japan have an outside chance of reaching the quarter-finals from Group C, with one game remaining against Ecuador.

Vargas, who plays for Mexico club Tigres UANL, netted twice in the second half as defending champions Chile gradually overpowered a skillful but limited Japan, who are playing in the South American showpiece as one of two invited teams from Asia.

Carlos Queiroz's team became the first side into the knock-out rounds after following up Saturday's 2-0 win over Argentina with another victory over the Asian champions.

It was a deserved success but one that had looked likely to elude the 2001 champions as they toiled against a Qatar side that defended stoically and held on grimly for more than 85 minutes.

Qatar, who will host the next World Cup in 2022, may now need to beat Lionel Messi's Argentina in their final Group B match if they are to reach the last eight.

An Oscar Cardozo penalty and a stunning Derlis Gonzalez strike gave the South Americans a 2-0 lead in Rio de Janeiro but goals from Almoez Ali and Khoukhi in the final quarter snatched a share of the Group B spoils for the tournament debutants.

"We have decided to invite ... to participate in our competitions the current Asian confederation champions and the previous ones," said Alejandro Dominguez, the president of South American football's governing body.

The announcement came the day before the 2019 competition kicks off in Sao Paulo with hosts Brazil taking on Bolivia.

Qatar, the 2022 World Cup hosts, are participating in the Copa America as guests for the first time this year and line up in Group B alongside 14-time former winners Argentina, Colombia and Paraguay.