Soccer-Uzbekistan savour sweet taste of success after sealing World Cup spot
(Reuters) -Uzbekistan coach Timur Kapadze lauded the efforts of his players after the Central Asian country qualified for the World Cup for the first time.
The White Wolves claimed their spot at the expanded 48-team 2026 finals on Thursday with a 0-0 draw in the United Arab Emirates, which guaranteed Kapadze's side a top-two finish in Group A, alongside already-qualified Iran.
Uzbekistan have tried and failed to qualify seven times since their independence after the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991, suffering heartbreak in the final stage of continental qualifiers for Germany 2006 and Brazil 2014.
A genuine force in Asia since their 1994 Asian Games triumph, the Uzbekistan FA has invested heavily in youth development in the attempt to take the final step onto the world stage.
Kapadze has reaped the dividends with a young generation of players, including Manchester City's 21-year-old centre back Abdukodir Khusanov at his disposal.
"We have achieved an important result after a long and difficult journey. A lot of work was done for this result, I sincerely congratulate our people," Kapadze told Uzbekistan's online publication Zamin.
"This is not only our victory, but the victory of our entire people. Our players showed determination in every match, worked with all their might, and we achieved the result ... "
Kapadze, who played 119 times for Uzbekistan and led the under-23 team at last year's Olympic Games, was appointed coach after Srecko Katanec left because of illness in January.
"Before the game, (everyone) expressed their confidence in our team's victory and expected a good result from us," he said.
"This confidence also became a great responsibility and pressure for us. But we managed to overcome this pressure and complete the task."
Kapadze was mobbed by his players in his post-match press conference and received a congratulatory telephone call from Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
"In a fierce competition against the strongest teams in Asia, you demonstrated true character, unbreakable will, and professionalism," Mirziyoyev said.
(Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
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