Australia starts the next stage of qualifying in Tashkent on September, its first clash in a testing group that also includes Japan, Bahrain and Qatar.

Socceroos star Lucas Neill, who plays for West Ham in the Premier League and was a key to Australia’s impressive performance at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, admitted the Uzbeks were a largely unknown quantity.

Neill, speaking from London where the Socceroos are preparing for a friendly against South Africa on Wednesday, said it was likely to be a tough challenge.

"I reckon this might be the toughest qualifier for the World Cup," Neill said.

"We are going into the unknown to play a team we know very little about in an environment we are not used to," he said.

"We simply do not know what we are coming up against and it’s going to be a great experience and challenge."

Neill conceded the pressure was on the Socceroos after their efforts in Germany two years ago.

With most of the Socceroos based outside Australia, Neill said away wins were crucial.

This is because home games are actually "away" games for many of the players, meaning that Australia do not benefit so much from home advantage.

But he added that he believed the versatility within the squad would be a big advantage in overcoming unusual challenges such as the Uzbeks.

Socceroos goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer said the little he knew of Uzbekistan suggested a tough match.

"We saw a little bit of them at the Asian Cup last year - they looked a pretty good side," he said.

"They’re going to be a very, very difficult game for us away."

The top two teams from the group qualify for the World Cup in South Africa in 2010.