“I hope you will agree with me, we played a tough game. We had never beaten UAE at home. This unfortunate tradition was put to an end today,” said Radmanovich. 

“We did not play well in the first half, and after the break, the game changed. I thank the fans and I would like to express my gratitude to the staff.

“There are implementation issues. You have to make quick decisions during the game. Risk is a very dangerous thing – it can benefit us, but in other cases, it can be harmful."

Radmanovic said head coach Srecko Katanec, who is recovering from illness, provided inputs for the tie with the Serbian expected to return for the November matchdays.

 “We were in contact with Katanec, and he asked what we thought about fielding a striker instead of a defender (following Abdullah Hamad of the UAE's sending off). It was a logical decision with one less opponent.”

The win sees Uzbekistan - seeking a first ever appearance at the FIFA World Cup - level with Islamic Republic of Iran on 10 points with the Central Asian side to meet two-time AFC Asian Cup™ champions Qatar next on November 14.

UAE head coach Paulo Bento praised his team's performance but lamented their missed chances, with the defeat leaving the West Asian side six points off the pace.

“It was a good and competitive game. I think our counter attacks were quite dangerous. We had clear chances, but after the red card, the game changed,” said Bento.

“Uzbekistan are trying to go directly to the World Cup and currently they have 10 points. They’ve performed well against strong teams like Iran and Qatar. We have to respect their strength and think about our future matches.”