The Uzbeks showed right from the off that they were a much improved side from the one that was beaten by Panama and there was no chance of one-sided encounter.

Even so, Colombia looked the more likely to find the first opening, only for a horrible mistake from Carlos Nanez, seeing the ball slip through his fingers for a tap-in, to knock them back.

Colombia regrouped, refreshed and tried again, coming up against the geometrically resilient and organised Uzbek defence. But again, as they looked most likely to score, the sucker punch hit them – this time on the counter-attack.

Jorge Abril gave the home side life just before the break, but Elibaev knocked their hopes back again. But the pressure began to build and build towards the final few minutes.

Uzbekistan, who now sit bottom of the four-team Group A, still have hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages when they face Portugal in their final Group Stage clash.