The Blue Samurai maintained their 100 per cent record in this year’s competition thanks to Ritsu Doan’s 57th minute effort, which made sure of four-time champions Japan’s place in the last four.

But forward Muto, who played in three of his country’s previous four fixtures in the tournament, had to sit out the last-eight clash and watch on as Hajime Moriyasu’s side prevailed at the Al-Maktoum Stadium in Dubai.

The result means Japan, who have won nine of their last ten Asian Cup matches, will now face either Iran or China in the semi-finals on Monday afternoon.