The home side took the lead on the stroke of half-time through Timur Kapadze’s header before Maksim Shatskikh doubled the lead midway through the second half and a Server Djeparov penalty shortly afterwards sealed victory.

Uzbekistan had the first chance of the game after only six minutes when Islom Innomov cut into the box from the left flank before finding Shatskikh, but the striker fired over.

And they nearly took the lead in the 21st minute when Azizbek Haydarov beat Osama Hawsawi and Saud Khariri before firing a powerful low drive from the edge of the area only for Saudi goalkeeper Taisir Al Nateif to turn the ball around the post.

Djeparov then found Ilhomjon Suyunov with a neat pass but his left-footed strike from distance flew past the left upright on the half-hour mark, before Saudi Arabia spurned a golden chance six minutes later.

Yasser Al Qahtani only had Ignatiy Nesterov to beat but the keeper blocked the midfielder’s effort.

However, Mohamed Al Shalhoub picked up the loose ball and his cross from the left was headed towards the empty net by Malek Maaz but Suyunov managed to clear off the line.

Saudi Arabia then lost Al Qahtani to injury as the skipper was replaced by striker Saad Al Harthi five minutes before the break but it was Uzbekistan that broke the deadlock in the first minute of stoppage time when Djeparov’s corner from the left was headed home by Kapadze from close range.

Al Nateif managed to get a hand to it and despite Maaz kicking the ball off the line, Malaysian referee Mohammed Salleh Subkhiddin allowed the goal to stand as a sizeable home crowd erupted.

The visitors thought that they had equalised two minutes later when Al Harthi found Maaz and the striker beat Nesterov only for it to be ruled out for offside.

Uzbekistan kept up the pressure after the break and could have extended their advantage five minutes into the second half but Odil Ahmedov’s effort was straight at Al Nateif before Suyunov hit a rising drive over the crossbar.

Saudi Arabia were next to threaten as Al Harthi forged into the area but Nesterov blocked his powerful strike.

Uzbekistan then had a chance when Al Shalhoub lost control of the ball and Suyunov broke into the box but Al Nateif beat his shot away before the Saudid efenders cleared.

Saudi Arabia nearly equalised when Al Shalhoub fed Maaz but his shot hit the left upright.

And the miss proved costly as Uzbekistan doubled their lead on 67 minutes when second half substitute Abdoh Autef gave the ball away to Djeparov and the midfielder sent Shatskikh clear and, after springing the offside trap, the striker fired past Al Nateif into the bottom left-hand corner.

Two minutes later, Uzbekistan put the result beyond doubt when Walid Abdrabh handled in the area as he tried to stop Shatskikh and Djeparov made no mistake from the spot kick to make it 3-0.

Saudi Arabia nearly bagged a consolation effort in the first minute of stoppage time but Al Harthi’s bicycle kick hit both posts before Uzbekistan scrambled the ball clear.