“It was a difficult match as Iran are one of the strongest in Asia,” said Radmanovic. “There are not many chances in such matches. We have passed another game with seven more matches ahead of us. 

“One of our main players, Oston Orunov, was injured. He was able to play at first, but as kickoff approached, he wasn't ready as his leg was hurting. 

“We don't have many attacking players like that. We could have made changes in the centre of the field and in the centre of defence, but the plan we prepared for today's match did not work well.”

Chances were few and far in the evenly-fought match which saw Saleh Hardani dismissed for a studs up challenge on Eldor Shomurodov early in the second half.

Iran fought bravely after going down to 10 men, soaking up the pressure with 28-year-old debutant Ali Nemati playing a sterling role in the heart of their defence.

“We attacked even after being a man down and won a few corners,” said Ghalenoei. “The goalkeeper of Uzbekistan also saved his team in many situations.

“We witnessed a good game today. I think it was the best game in the group. We have to think about the next meeting. We proved that we can defend well in today's match. I congratulate Ali Nemati on his national team debut. I hope that he will play a lot more for Iran in the future.”

Uzbekistan will next welcome the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday while Iran will face Qatar.