Tadjiyev lunged forward to head home Ildar Magdeev’s cross from the right to give the visitors the points and get their campaign off to a flying start in the three-team group.

The UAE pressed hard after the break but the Uzbek defence held on. The visitors looked more dangerous on the counter although their main intent seemed to preserve the lead.

For the home side, the defeat punctured the euphoria of their opening 5-0 rout of Malaysia.

The Uzbeks tested the goalkeeper Majed Naser twice with a couple of free-kicks in the first five minutes.

Naser did well to collect the first, a curling shot from the AFC Player of the Year Server Djeparov in front of a crowded goalmouth but the next proved a far easier save.

The UAE’s first decent move did not come until a quarter of an hour had elapsed when Ali Al Wehaibi was sent clear down the right flank but having done all the hard work he produced a weak cross from the edge box in the direction of captain Mohammed Omar.

Omar then saw a close range effort from a corner blocked a couple of minutes later before the Uzbeks drew first blood.

Magdeev worked his way down the right flank before delivering a dipping cross into a crowded goalmouth that Tadjiyev managed to get his head on and guide into the net.

Hamdan Al Kamali had a shot cleared as the visitors began to look the better team, particularly in defence.

UAE coach Dominique Bathenay turned to his youthful bench and sent on AFC Youth Player of the Year Ahmed Khalil and Ismail Al Hammadi in the second-half in a desperate bid for a goal that never came.

Uzbekistan proved physically stronger and never allowed UAE to get into their penalty area. On the one occasion Al Hammadi did break through, he lost control of the ball.

The home side resorted to the long ball but that too proved ineffective as both sides struggled to create any more meaningful opportunities.