Perhaps it was meant to be. Beijing Guoan returned to action for the first time in over two months on Tuesday with football a mere afterthought as the Chinese capital giants paid heartfelt tribute to their homeland's effort to combat the COVID-19 outbreak, which has caused more than 2,000 deaths. 

AFC Champions League matches involving Chinese clubs had been postponed amid concerns over the epidemic, with the only exception being Guoan's encounter with Chiangrai United in Thailand. Bruno Genesio's side were training in South Korea throughout the outbreak, thus obviating the need to put the team under quarantine. 

From tragedy comes solidarity. It was a night heavy with emotion and Guoan had shown themselves adept at connecting with those who endured exceptional hardships in the Chinese city of Wuhan – the epicenter of the deadly coronavirus.  

Their players, some with their heads down in prayerful thought, walked into the field dressed all in special kits with "Stay strong, Wuhan" on their chests. The move marks the first time a Chinese Super League club showcased an inspirational slogan on the front of the jersey instead of promoting the team's official shirt sponsor. 

In keeping with the admirable way Guoan have handled such a poignant situation, their supporters also unveiled a large number of touching banners at Singha Stadium displaying messages of support to Wuhan and China.  

Those are the small gestures that speak volumes of the extent to which football can unite people in the face of adversity, for all the reasons we find to be divided in an ever-increasingly polarized world. 

The whole occasion pulled on the heartstrings and it was hard for the football to live up to such sentiment. Quality was in short supply, yet Guoan still found a way to dig out a winning start to their new season as Wang Ziming provided a rare moment of magic in a keenly contested game, firing home superbly from Jonathan Viera's pass. 

Not that anyone could fault Guoan's effort and heart. It was later revealed that they have pulled out all the stops to roll out those special kits just in time for this emotional Champions League encounter.  

Three clothing manufacturers in Thailand were turned down for being not up to the task. Guoan eventually pinpointed the adequate clothes maker through the business connections of a Thai national of Chinese descent less than 24 hours before the match-day.  

It emerged that the factory workers, who managed to put together the special kits on Monday night, insisted they would do it for free, noting that the Thai-Chinese communities are eager to show kindness and contribute to the effort of fighting the coronavirus in China.  

This truly has been a time when everyone involved has come together. It was hard to think of a more trying backdrop for a football match and no doubt there was barely a dry eye in Wuhan.