The gap between Asia’s best teams and the rest has been laid bare by the region’s disappointing World Cup as just two AFC sides reached the knockout rounds.
A record nine countries from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) reached the finals in North America after the tournament was expanded to 48 teams.
But with the group phase having concluded on Saturday, only Australia and Japan remain.
Of 27 group games contested by AFC teams, they won only three.
In contrast, it has been a success story for African football, with nine of their 10 sides reaching the last 32.
