Uzbekistan booked a place in the Asian Cup quarter-finals after beating Saudi Arabia 3-1 in a nail-biter on Sunday, a bullet header from Vokhid Shodiev helping them over the line.
Vokhid Shodiev scored a dramatic winner for the 2011 semi-finalists and averted a controversial denouement after Saudi Arabia had been awarded a soft penalty which cancelled out an early strike from two-goal hero Sardor Rashidov.
Uzbekistan, who reached the semi-finals of the last Asian Cup in 2011, will face South Korea in the last eight on Thursday, while three-times champions Saudi Arabia crash out at the group stage — just as they did four years ago.
Saudi Arabia had briefly looked to be heading for the draw they needed to join Group B winners China in the knockout stage after Australian referee Ben Williams gifted them a penalty which Mohammed Al Sahlawi converted on the hour-mark.
Moments later Williams ruled out an Uzbekistan goal for another phantom foul, sparking fury among the players in white.
Rashidov opened the scoring inside two minutes, capitalising on bumbling Saudi defending to score with a daisy-cutter which squeezed through the legs of goalkeeper Waleed Abullah.
But it was Shodiev who swung a see-saw match back in Uzbekistan's favour, climbing to head home a Shavkatjon Mulladjanov cross before racing off to the corner flag to celebrate wildly.
Sun Ke scored twice to steal the show again as China defeated North Korea 2-1 in Canberra on Sunday to register their best ever start to an Asian Cup.
The in-form Sun opened the scoring after just 45 seconds when he pounced on a hopeful long pass to poke the ball home.
He grabbed his third of the tournament shortly before the break, heading home a cross by full-back Jiang Zhipeng that delighted the majority Chinese crowd at Canberra Stadium.
China, who were already assured of top spot in Group B and a Brisbane quarter-final against Australia, have now won their first three Asian Cup games for the first time.
North Korea made it 2-1 in the 56th minute when Jong Il-Gwan's weak shot was cleared off the line by Zhang Linpeng, only for it to bounce back in off striker Gao Lin.
A dogged North Korea pushed for a leveller and had a large crowd of 18,457 on their feet when substitute So Hyon-Uk crashed a powerful volley against the crossbar with 10 minutes remaining.
