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Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
‘Asia's chokers' smile at last: Uzbekistan's hurt over as they reach first World Cup
There was no choking for Uzbekistan this time, or if there was, it was in an attempt to hold back tears of joy. Those eight minutes of added time on Thursday in Abu Dhabi were long but then it has been a long wait and a long road to qualify for a first World Cup. Uzbekistan have snatched summers of rest from the jaws of World Cup appearances more than once in the past, so the goalkeeper Utkir Yusupov could be forgiven for taking his time and faking an injury or two. He was the star of a 0-0 draw against the United Arab Emirates that was dull – deliberately and deliciously so for those in Central Asia – but provided the necessary point. Yusupov went down once more at the end, this time in tears as reserve goalkeepers came on for a group hug. Advertisement The coach, Timur Kapadze, was embracing his coaching staff. The former midfielder, who looks the same as he did in his playing prime, because he had the appearance of a 43-year-old once halfway through a career that brought him 119 Uzbekistan caps, has been in the job since Srecko Katanec stepped down in January owing to ill health. The man who led his native Slovenia to the 2002 World Cup deserves plenty of credit. So does Kapadze. As 'Mr Uzbekistan football', he knows all about past heartbreaks and was part of the team that made it as far as a playoff against Bahrain during the 2006 World Cup qualifiers. In the first leg at home in Tashkent, Uzbekistan were leading 1-0 when Server Djeparov thought he had scored a penalty to make it 2-0. The Japanese referee, spying encroachment, blew his whistle but, instead of ordering a retake, gave Bahrain a free-kick. 'Nobody could believe what was happening,' said Uzbekistan's coach, Bob Houghton, a globe-trotting Englishman who had led Malmö to the final of the 1979 European Cup final, which they lost 1-0 to Nottingham Forest. 'People were just looking at each other, confused and scratching their heads. If that penalty had counted, we were so dominant that I think we would have won three- or four-nil and then we are almost there.' It would have meant a final playoff against Trinidad & Tobago for a place in England's group in Germany. 'Everyone was very angry and it was a tragedy for the country,' Houghton said. 'The federation was very upset, of course. I remember the original game and leaving the pitch at half-time. I saw the fourth official and said to him: 'What the hell is that?' And he said: 'It's a new rule.' I then saw the head of the Uzbek referee commission … he just said: 'I don't think that is right.' And soon we were on the phone to Fifa.' Advertisement Uzbekistan demanded a 3-0 win and had arrived in Manama for the second leg when they were told by Fifa, which said the retake had been a technical error, to turn around to Tashkent to replay the first. They ended up going out on away goals (that Bahrain were eliminated from 2026 qualification on Thursday at the same time Uzbekistan were celebrating was another little bonus for the White Wolves). For the 2014 tournament, there was a more conventional disappointment, with South Korea going to Brazil because of a goal difference better by one. Four years later, revenge would have been sweet had Uzbekistan beaten South Korea in Tashkent but it ended goalless. Given that the former Soviet republic, which joined Fifa and the Asian Football Confederation in 1994, have reached the last eight in four of the past five Asian Cups but got to the last four once, questions about their mentality were understandable. Now those have been answered. Their five wins from nine games in this third round of qualification have come by a single goal, and four have been 1-0. A solid defence, led by Manchester City's Abdukodir Khusanov, who arrived in Abu Dhabi from his wedding, has been the foundation. Roma's Eldor Shomurodov of Roma is the talisman in attack and CSKA Moscow's Abbosbek Fayzullaev, a 21-year-old winger, is one of Asia's most exciting talents. Whereas a growing number of nations have naturalised in pursuit of World Cup dreams – most of the UAE's starting XI were not born in the country – Uzbekistan have done it the other way and have a national team with a club atmosphere. Recent success in youth tournaments in Asia is not a coincidence, the country having invested time and money in development in the past decade. The support came from the very top, facilities were built/improved, coaches were educated, players found and chances given, helped by the formation of Olympic Tashkent in 2021, a top-tier club reserved for young talent. Advertisement Their coach until last summer? Kapadze. He also led the under-23s to the Asian final in 2022 and 2024, earning a first Olympic appearance. Only one point was earned in Paris but the defeats by Spain and Egypt came by a single goal. Two months ago, the under-17s became continental champions. In 2023, the unders-20s did the same and qualified for the World Cup, where they made the last 16. That would do nicely next summer but how Uzbekistan will get on in North America is a question that can wait. This is a time for celebrating a new beginning as well as the loss of that label of 'Asia's chokers'.
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
‘Asia's chokers' smile at last: Uzbekistan's hurt over as they reach first World Cup
There was no choking for Uzbekistan this time, or if there was, it was in an attempt to hold back tears of joy. Those eight minutes of added time on Thursday in Abu Dhabi were long but then it has been a long wait and a long road to qualify for a first World Cup. Uzbekistan have snatched summers of rest from the jaws of World Cup appearances more than once in the past, so the goalkeeper Utkir Yusupov could be forgiven for taking his time and faking an injury or two. He was the star of a 0-0 draw against the United Arab Emirates that was dull – deliberately and deliciously so for those in Central Asia – but provided the necessary point. Yusupov went down once more at the end, this time in tears as reserve goalkeepers came on for a group hug. The coach, Timur Kapadze, was embracing his coaching staff. The former midfielder, who looks the same as he did in his playing prime, because he had the appearance of a 43-year-old once halfway through a career that brought him 119 Uzbekistan caps, has been in the job since Srecko Katanec stepped down in January owing to ill health. The man who led his native Slovenia to the 2002 World Cup deserves plenty of credit. So does Kapadze. As 'Mr Uzbekistan football', he knows all about past heartbreaks and was part of the team that made it as far as a playoff against Bahrain during the 2006 World Cup qualifiers. In the first leg at home in Tashkent, Uzbekistan were leading 1-0 when Server Djeparov thought he had scored a penalty to make it 2-0. The Japanese referee, spying encroachment, blew his whistle but, instead of ordering a retake, gave Bahrain a free-kick. 'Nobody could believe what was happening,' said Uzbekistan's coach, Bob Houghton, a globe-trotting Englishman who had led Malmö to the final of the 1979 European Cup final, which they lost 1-0 to Nottingham Forest. 'People were just looking at each other, confused and scratching their heads. If that penalty had counted, we were so dominant that I think we would have won three- or four-nil and then we are almost there.' It would have meant a final playoff against Trinidad & Tobago for a place in England's group in Germany. 'Everyone was very angry and it was a tragedy for the country,' Houghton said. 'The federation was very upset, of course. I remember the original game and leaving the pitch at half-time. I saw the fourth official and said to him: 'What the hell is that?' And he said: 'It's a new rule.' I then saw the head of the Uzbek referee commission … he just said: 'I don't think that is right.' And soon we were on the phone to Fifa.' Uzbekistan demanded a 3-0 win and had arrived in Manama for the second leg when they were told by Fifa, which said the retake had been a technical error, to turn around to Tashkent to replay the first. They ended up going out on away goals (that Bahrain were eliminated from 2026 qualification on Thursday at the same time Uzbekistan were celebrating was another little bonus for the White Wolves). For the 2014 tournament, there was a more conventional disappointment, with South Korea going to Brazil because of a goal difference better by one. Four years later, revenge would have been sweet had Uzbekistan beaten South Korea in Tashkent but it ended goalless. Given that the former Soviet republic, which joined Fifa and the Asian Football Confederation in 1994, have reached the last eight in four of the past five Asian Cups but got to the last four once, questions about their mentality were understandable. Now those have been answered. Their five wins from nine games in this third round of qualification have come by a single goal, and four have been 1-0. A solid defence, led by Manchester City's Abdukodir Khusanov, who arrived in Abu Dhabi from his wedding, has been the foundation. Roma's Eldor Shomurodov of Roma is the talisman in attack and CSKA Moscow's Abbosbek Fayzullaev, a 21-year-old winger, is one of Asia's most exciting talents. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion Whereas a growing number of nations have naturalised in pursuit of World Cup dreams – most of the UAE's starting XI were not born in the country – Uzbekistan have done it the other way and have a national team with a club atmosphere. Recent success in youth tournaments in Asia is not a coincidence, the country having invested time and money in development in the past decade. The support came from the very top, facilities were built/improved, coaches were educated, players found and chances given, helped by the formation of Olympic Tashkent in 2021, a top-tier club reserved for young talent. Their coach until last summer? Kapadze. He also led the under-23s to the Asian final in 2022 and 2024, earning a first Olympic appearance. Only one point was earned in Paris but the defeats by Spain and Egypt came by a single goal. Two months ago, the under-17s became continental champions. In 2023, the unders-20s did the same and qualified for the World Cup, where they made the last 16. That would do nicely next summer but how Uzbekistan will get on in North America is a question that can wait. This is a time for celebrating a new beginning as well as the loss of that label of 'Asia's chokers'.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Uzbekistan coach says historic World Cup spot for 'our entire people'
Uzbekistan's coach said "this victory belongs to all of us" after steering the Central Asian nation to the World Cup for the first time in their history. A 0-0 draw at the United Arab Emirates on Thursday was enough to seal the landmark with a game to go in Asian qualifying for the 2026 World Cup in North America. Advertisement The expansion of the tournament from 32 to 48 teams has given traditional outsiders such as Uzbekistan the chance to break into the top ranks of world football. "We have come a long way and achieved an important result," their coach Timur Kapadze said, according to the Asian Football Confederation. "We congratulate our entire people and our president. This victory belongs to all of us. "Yesterday and today the phone calls have not stopped." Uzbekistan started competing as an independent nation in the 1990s, following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Backed by state funding, Uzbekistan are one of Asia's fastest-developing footballing nations. Advertisement They are ranked 57th in the world. "Everyone said they would support us and pray for us, the wishes for victory were a great inspiration for us," said Kapadze, who replaced Srecko Katanec as head coach in January. "My players showed determination in every game, they did their best, and that is why we achieved the result." Footage shared on social media showed the players, draped in national flags, mobbing Kapadze in the press room after getting the point they needed. Uzbekistan are second behind also qualified Iran in Group A with five wins, three draws and one defeat. They play their final qualifier on Tuesday home to Qatar in the capital Tashkent. pst/rsc
Reuters
4 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Uzbekistan savour sweet taste of success after sealing World Cup spot
June 6 (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.
New York Times
5 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Uzbekistan's World Cup dream realised: Tears, near-misses and making amends for ‘stolen goals'
As the enormity of what they had achieved started to sink in, the emotions of Uzbekistan's football squad became too much to bear. This was the greatest moment of all of their careers. The players were crying, the staff were crying, even the unused substitutes were in tears. Heroic goalkeeper Utkir Yusupov, who made several outstanding saves including one in the eighth minute of added time, was on his knees, blubbing like the rest of them. Advertisement Yusupov plays his club football for Foolad in Iran's Persian Gulf Pro League. Yes, this is not a team of superstars but, by grinding out a 0-0 draw away to the United Arab Emirates on Thursday, they have accomplished what many back home thought may never happen — Uzbekistan have qualified for the World Cup. When the field for the finals was increased from 32 to 48 nations for the 2026 edition, being hosted in the United States, Canada and Mexico, there were likely to be some unusual names thrown into the mix and a debutant or two. Uzbekistan fit that bill, but they have not qualified due to the tournament's expansion — they would have made it if the format had been the same as in Qatar four years ago, due to an excellent qualification campaign, losing just one of 15 matches. In fact, for a football-mad country, this is long overdue. And boy, have they had some near-misses along the way. 'Abdukodir Khusanov is at Manchester City, but undoubtedly more players will go to Europe — we have a lot of talented footballers.' Uzbekistan may not be a footballing hotbed — yet — but Guy Kiala, their football association's technical director, believes that could be about to change. 'You can see that, over the years, European clubs have sent their scouts to Africa, then to South America, then lots to Asia, but they have overlooked Uzbekistan,' he tells The Athletic. 'That will change, and for sure we'll have more players heading to Europe now, there's no doubt about that.' Reaching next year's World Cup is about to shine a very bright spotlight on what Uzbekistan has to offer the football world. Up until now, the country has probably been better known for its wrestling prowess — Artur Taymazov won Olympic wrestling golds in 2004, 2008 and 2012, although the latter two were stripped from him following positive drug tests. Advertisement Hmm, what else? Well, they had a decent heavyweight boxer called Ruslan Chagaev, who was WBA world champion for a bit and went nine rounds with Wladimir Klitschko in 2009 before it was stopped. Oh, and Akgul Amanmuradova was one of the tallest female tennis players in history at 6ft 3in (190cm) and reached a highest ranking of 50th in the world. But yeah, that's about it. As well as the above sports, they like their ice hockey in Uzbekistan, or their chess, or their judo, but what they really love is football. While your average European won't know much about Uzbek football, in their part of the world, they are the opposite of unknown football minnows. Yes, Rivaldo played there for a while, during the weird travelling phase of the end of his career that also included a spell in Angola and yes, former Valencia and Inter coach Hector Cuper managed the national team late in his career, but more importantly, in Central Asian football — admittedly not the biggest field — they are the dominant force and have a proud record of having qualified for every Asian Cup (the region's Euros or Copa America) they've entered since they gained independence from the old USSR in 1991. The country's citizenry of almost 40 million makes it the most populated country in Central Asia, which is a vast area located south of Russia and north of Iran and Afghanistan that also includes Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan and is around half the size of Europe in terms of land, but has a population around a tenth of Europe's. But while they have been fanatical about their football for many decades, World Cup qualification has proved elusive, missing out by the most desperate of tight margins on no fewer than three occasions. The one they still talk about today happened as they tried to get to the 2006 tournament in Germany, and was hugely controversial. Advertisement This was the time Uzbekistan were at their highest point in the FIFA rankings (45th — they're currently 57th, having dropped as low as 109th in 2010). Uzbekistan reached a two-legged final play-off against Bahrain, with its winners going through to a further inter-continental play-off against a side from the Concacaf (North and Central America and the Caribbean) region. They won the first leg 1-0 at home, which would have been 2-0 if they hadn't had a penalty ruled out because one of their attacking players encroached in the penalty area. However, the Japanese referee, instead of saying the penalty should be re-taken, awarded a free kick to Bahrain, which is an incorrect interpretation of the game's laws. FIFA ordered the match to be replayed, starting at 0-0, because the ref had made a 'technical error'. 'The referee stole our second goal and now FIFA is stealing our first goal,' Alisher Nikimbaev, the Uzbekistan Football Federation's head of international relations, said at the time. You can guess what happened next. The replayed first leg finished 1-1, and it was then 0-0 in Bahrain, meaning Uzbekistan were out on the since-scrapped away goals rule. That Bahrain would narrowly miss out, 2-1, to Trinidad & Tobago in that inter-confederation play-off was no consolation to the enraged Uzbeks. They came even closer in qualifying for Brazil 2014, missing out on goal difference, with a 1-0 defeat away at South Korea (who went to the World Cup instead) in the penultimate round of fixtures proving crucial. Then, for 2018, they were just two points shy of heading to the finals in neighbouring Russia but drew 0-0 at home against South Korea in their final match when a win would have seen them through. It's a pretty solid history of coming up just short when it really matters. So what's been different this time for Uzbekistan, the world's first double-landlocked country (ie, one surrounded by countries which are themselves landlocked) to qualify for the World Cup? After all, this is not a squad full of exported talents plying their trade in Europe; in fact, the majority (14) of the current 25-man group play in the domestic league. Advertisement There are two notable exceptions; their captain, striker, record goalscorer and talisman is Eldor Shomurodov, Roma's workmanlike striker who chipped in with seven goals in all competitions last season as they finished fifth in Serie A. And then there's new national hero Khusanov, whose rise to one of the best teams in the world in Manchester City has been meteoric, from Uzbek youth football to the Champions League in just two years, via a spell at French side Lens. Probably the only other player on the level of Shomurodov and Khusanov is Abbosbek Fayzullaev, a dynamic attacking midfielder who plays for CSKA Moscow. Fayzullaev, like Khusanov, is only 21 years old and has the talent to compete at a much higher level. He has twice been named Uzbekistan player of the year, as well as in the 2023 Asian Cup's team of the tournament and voted 'Discovery of the season' in the 2023-24 Russian Premier League. Elsewhere in the team, it's generally been a dogged, organised team effort, with just 11 goals conceded in those 15 qualification matches. And yet, despite the unprecedented success of the national team, there is already one eye on the next generation coming through. Eighteen months ago, Uzbekistan's under-17 team stunned their England counterparts at the age group's World Cup, beating them 2-1 in the round of 16 before narrowly losing 1-0 to France in the quarter-finals. Earlier that year, their under-20 side also reached the knockout phase of their World Cup, having won the Asian equivalent on home soil a couple of months before (with Fayzullaev named player of the tournament). And last year, the under-23s were in the Olympics in France (having qualified as the runners-up to Japan in the age group's Asian Cup in 2023), which wasn't just the first time Uzbekistan had played football at the Games, but any team sport at any Olympics ever. Timur Kapadze managed that team, and it is he who has now guided the full national side to the World Cup. Advertisement Kapadze, 43, took charge at the start of this year, replacing former Slovenia manager Srecko Katanec, who had to step down for health reasons. 'It was not ideal to change the coach of the winning team, but the players have adapted well,' says technical director Kiala, a Belgian who has had similar roles at clubs in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. When Kiala was hired at around the time of that shock under-17s victory over England in late 2023, he found a football country with plenty of talent, but without the structure and the support to realise that talent. For a start, they didn't even have a technical director before him. There also wasn't a long-term development plan, and while there were football academies stretched across the huge country, they were being run by the government. Kiala and his staff brought these under the control of the football federation instead, changing what was mostly a social enterprise for the youngsters into a proper academy system. Grassroots kickabouts became actual matches between the very best talents from each region. 'We always had talent, but now there is consistency in identifying that talent,' says Kiala, whose team of staff are well backed with government support. 'So now it won't be just 'one good year' of players. Now we're looking at very good talents constantly coming through. 'Even at grassroots level, Uzbek players are very good technically. So how do we exploit that? Our training sessions are now focused on those things and on playing offensive, creative football, which suits us better.' Kiala also looked to change the mentality of the whole football structure. 'One of the things I found was that the players and the coaches didn't really have a winning mindset,' he adds. 'It showed in the way we played — very defensive, thinking other teams were better, 'We're only Uzbekistan'. 'So it needed a change of mindset and a more progressive playing style. We're more offensive now, more connected. And throughout our motto is, 'Our desire to win must always be bigger than the fear of losing'. Again, that's something we've put in place. And people have started to believe in themselves. 'We can't forget it's a young football country; the football association only came in 1991 with the fall of the Soviet Union. It's also a huge country; 38 million people; big, vast regions which are far from the capital. And football is the number one sport. There is lots of potential.' That potential is finally starting to be realised. The 34,000-capacity Milliy Stadium in the capital Tashkent will be full on Tuesday when Uzbekistan host Qatar in their final qualifier, which will now become a national party. 'Tomorrow, we need to make history,' winger Jaloliddin Masharipov had said ahead of his country's big night in Abu Dhabi.'It should be a day of joy for the Uzbek people. We have come this far for a reason — the time has come to qualify for the World Cup. 'Our goal is to make all of Uzbekistan proud.' They have certainly done that. Next stop, the World Cup.
