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4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Uzbekistan seals footballing dream with World Cup qualification
Uzbekistan's players celebrate after qualifying for the World Cup for the first time (Fadel SENNA) Uzbekistan are heading to next year's World Cup for the first time in the country's history, a feat that caps years of progress in a part of the world not known for its footballing prowess. The Central Asian nation qualified for football's premier international tournament on Thursday thanks to a 0-0 draw with the United Arab Emirates -- enough to seal the achievement with one game to spare. Advertisement "I cannot convey my feelings. I am very, very happy -- for the first time in 34 years the Uzbekistan national team has reached the World Cup," Otabek Khaydarov, a 36-year-old entrepreneur told AFP in Tashkent after the final whistle. Ex-Soviet Uzbekistan started competing as an independent nation in the 1990s, following the break-up of the USSR. Footage shared on social media showed the players, draped in national flags, mobbing coach Timur Kapadze in the press room after the game. The expansion of the tournament from 32 to 48 teams has given traditional outsiders, like Uzbekistan, the chance to break into the top ranks of world football. Advertisement But their success is not just down to a larger World Cup. Uzbekistan is one of Asia's fastest developing footballing nations. And across Central Asia, the sport is in the ascendancy -- backed by state funding and growing popularity in a region where combat sports traditionally reign supreme. Ravshan Khaydarov, the coach of Uzbekistan's under-23 national team, said qualification is the result of "a long-term effort". "Presidential decrees adopted to reform football five or six years ago marked the beginning of a process that is still ongoing," he told AFP on the sidelines of a match in Tashkent, ahead of the crunch game against UAE. Advertisement The construction of new stadiums and training centres, sometimes with FIFA's support, has been crucial, he said. - State affair - Such backing from the top is essential in a region dominated by autocratic regimes. In both Uzbekistan and neighbouring Kyrgyzstan, the national football federations are controlled by powerful secret service chiefs. On the pitch, Uzbekistan's charge to the tournament -- to be staged across the United States, Canada and Mexico -- was led by the star trio of centre back Abdukodir Khusanov, striker Eldor Shomurodov and winger Abbosbek Fayzullaev. Khusanov, who moved to Manchester City in a reported $45-million deal earlier this year, has become a national hero at home. Advertisement Bootleg jerseys featuring his name and number are available at bazaars across the landlocked country. Footballing bosses are confident the success of Khusanov and Shomurodov, who plays for Roma in Italy, can be replicated. More than a third of the country's 35 million people are under the age of 20 -- a huge talent pool waiting to be coached. "It is important to have a systemic approach to identifying talent and selecting the best players who will become famous. The world will know Uzbekistan thanks to our national team," said coach Khaydarov. "Our dream is to see Uzbek players in the best European clubs." Advertisement - 'Creativity' - The country has already had glory at the youth level, recently winning the Asian U17 and U20 Cups and qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics. "The strength of Uzbek football lies in the combination of play, technique, passing and attacking," said Azamat Abduraimov, a former player and now coach. "Uzbek football has always been renowned for its creativity. We have always had good strikers and creative, technical midfielders. But we lacked success because we were weak in defence," he added. Centre-back Khusanov, who Abduraimov coached as a teenager, has helped address that balance. Advertisement Many see 21-year-old winger Fayzullaev, who plays for CSKA Moscow and was voted Asia's best young player in 2023, as the next Uzbek in line for a big money move to Europe. His playing style has been compared to star Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who just won the Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain. For the national team, qualifying for next year's World Cup brings a new set of challenges. Uzbekistan has never played an international match against a top European side, and most of its young talent still lack experience on the biggest stages. In Tashkent, supporter Otabek was relishing the step up. "I would like to have strong opponents at the World Cup, I know at that there will be no weak ones there." sk-bk/asy-jc/ea
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Uzbekistan qualify for World Cup for first time
Uzbekistan's players celebrate after booking their berth in the FIFA World Cup for the first time with a draw against the United Arab Emirates in Abu Dhabi (Fadel SENNA) Uzbekistan have reached their first World Cup following a goalless draw with the United Arab Emirates in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, while Jordan moved to the top of Group B thanks to a win in Oman and Saudi Arabia set up a qualifier decider with Australia next week. Uzbekistan, one of the fastest-rising national teams in Asia, kept their hosts at bay in the Emirati capital to seal the second automatic spot in Group A and make history. Iran, who take on Qatar later on Thursday, have already secured their place in next year's tournament in North America. Advertisement The UAE, who had Cosmin Olaroiu taking charge for the first time having last month replaced Paulo Bento as manager, must now contest a further round of qualifying. The top two teams in each of the three Asian groups go straight to the World Cup, while those finishing third and fourth enter a fourth round of qualifiers. Jordan are on the verge of joining Uzbekistan at a first World Cup courtesy of a superb 3-0 victory against Oman in Muscat. Ali Olwan scored all three goals to send the 2023 Asian Cup runners-up to the top of the group. They now lead second-placed South Korea on goal difference, with the perennial World Cup qualifiers still to play third-placed Iraq on Thursday. Jordan welcome Iraq to Amman in five days' time in the third round's final set of fixtures. Advertisement Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia defeated Bahrain 2-0 in Riffa to tee up a showdown with Australia for the second automatic spot in Group C. - Australia dramatic late winner - With Australia snatching a last-minute victory against already qualified Japan earlier, Herve Renard's men had to win to push the race for second to Tuesday. The Saudis got off to the perfect start, when on 16 minutes rising star Musab Al Juwayr met captain Salem Al Dawsari's pinpoint cross to the back post to volley home. The visitors then survived a few nervy moments in the second half before Abdulrahman Al Obud made safe the result 12 minutes from time with a goal on the counter. Advertisement The win keeps Saudi third, three points behind Australia, although with a far inferior goal difference. Only a huge victory for the Gulf side in Jeddah would see them leapfrog the Socceroos. Australia remain in pole position following their last-gasp win against group leaders Japan in Perth. Defender Aziz Behich was the home hero in front of more than 57,000 fans, rifling into the corner in the 90th minute to give Tony Popovic's side a crucial 1-0 victory. "We know there's room to grow and room to improve, but we've done something special tonight," said Popovic, who saw his team outplayed for long periods by an experimental Japan side. Advertisement The former international, who replaced Graham Arnold in the dugout in September, added: "We've all played a part in getting us to this point. We want to go to Saudi Arabia and really finish the job off." Also in Group C, Patrick Kluivert's Indonesia kept alive their hopes of reaching a first World Cup since the country's independence in 1945 with a 1-0 win over China. That leaves Indonesia fourth in the group, one point behind Saudi Arabia. Ole Romeny scored the only goal, his controversial penalty just before half time following a VAR check leaving China rooted to the bottom of the group and thus ending their hopes of making a second World Cup. jm/ea/iwd
