Australia coach Pim Verbeek is delighted after their 1-0 victory in Uzbekistan tonight. Scott Chipperfield celebrated his return to competitive action with Australia to hit the winner midway through the first-half.
"Away, Uzbekistan, 3 points, fantastic," said Verbeek at the final whistle. "The boys did a fantastic job.
"The whole team put in a great performance, and it's a great start to win in Uzbekistan.
"They showed commitment and worked hard for each other."
The win gives Australia a full three points on its first match of this round of World Cup qualifying. The other four teams in the group all kicked-off their campaign last weekend, when Australia had a bye.
Australia has another seven games to play in this fourth round of qualification, with the next match to take place against Qatar in Brisbane on 15 October.