“The Lebanese team are getting better every time I see them,” said Sapo.

“But today, we were not able to play our best. Our players seemed a bit nervous and I hope that, in future games, we can display the mental toughness and strength that the fans expect from us.”

Lebanon coach Dory Zakhour, on the other hand, said his side deserved more from the match.

“We played very well today and I thought we deserved at least a draw,” said Zakhour.

Indonesian warning for Uzbeks

Indonesian coach Robby Hartono, whose team beat Chinese Taipei 6-1 on Sunday, said they have now set their sights on upsetting group favourites and home side Uzbekistan in their next match on Monday.

“We will try to win against the home masters and qualify for the next stage,” said Hartono. “Why not? A bad soldier is one who does not dream of becoming a general.

“In today’s match, we were shocked at conceding an early goal, but we settled down and eventually achieved the desired result.”

Chinese Taipei coach Chen Kuei-jen said he has no problem with the reversal, saying: “I think our opponents were much stronger than us and the 6-1 loss reflected the difference in standards.”