The head coach of the Uzbekistan national football team shared his first impressions of the World Cup as a manager. He described the experience as completely different from being a player: 'As a coach, you have to monitor many things, control processes, and prepare seriously. There is excitement and joy inside, but ultimately all attention is focused on the team. As a player, you can enjoy the tournament more.'

Reflecting on the match against Colombia, the coach emphasized that mistakes at this level are very costly: 'We played a good match, acted as a team, aggressively and disciplined. But if you lose concentration for a moment or leave the opponent uncontrolled, punishment is inevitable. We prepared for the episode that led to the first goal for a long time, but still made a mistake. The second goal came after a throw-in. I told the players not to play through the center because it is a very dangerous zone. It is important for us to reduce such mistakes.'

However, he was satisfied with the second half: 'I always tell the players: if we have the ball, we must show our football. We need not to be afraid, to believe in ourselves and enjoy the game. In the second half, the team showed that: we scored, tried to control the match, and had more chances. Unfortunately, we then conceded a third goal, and that was a heavy blow.'

Regarding the next opponent, Portugal, the coach tried to ease the pressure: 'I try to reduce pressure on the players because we will play against one of the strongest teams in the World Cup. Portugal has many star players. Of course, they have Cristiano Ronaldo – a legend and one of the greatest footballers of the last 20 years alongside Lionel Messi. Portugal likes to control the ball, plays through short passes, and can create danger in any situation. Therefore, we must be very disciplined in defense. But when we have the ball, we need to try to create problems for them.'

He stressed that once the match starts, the opponent's star status must be forgotten: 'Yes, Ronaldo is a great footballer and a big star, but after the starting whistle, all that must be forgotten. We must think only about our task. Off the field, relationships between players can be good, but on the field you are not friends. There you must think only about the interests of your team.'

Asked how he wants his team to be remembered after this World Cup, the coach said: 'I want Uzbekistan to be remembered as a team that plays in the World Cup for the first time but is not afraid of strong opponents. We must be a team that shows beautiful football, is well-organized and disciplined. We respect all opponents and want to be treated with the same respect.'

The match of the second round of Group K of the 2026 World Cup between Uzbekistan and Portugal will take place tomorrow, June 23, at 22:00 Tashkent time.

Source: uznews.uz