Tajikistan's coach said it was "a big dream" after his side marched into the knockout rounds of their first Asian Cup with a battling 2-1 win over 10-man Lebanon on Monday.
China's 1-0 loss to hosts Qatar meant the debutants — who also had two goals ruled out by VAR — went through in second place from Group A on a night of drama.
Before the third and final round of games, holders Qatar were the only team to have scored a goal in the group, and any of the other three had a shot at finishing behind them in second.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.