We will try to give our people a big holiday – Masharipov

On June 5, the Uzbekistan national football team will face the United Arab Emirates in Abu Dhabi as part of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers. The match holds historical significance, as a draw would be enough for Uzbekistan to qualify for the World Cup for the first time.

Ahead of the game, both teams held an official pre-match press conference. Cosmin Olăroiu, head coach of the UAE national team, was the first to speak.

“Our opponent is one of the strongest teams in Asia. We will try to put up a worthy fight in tomorrow’s match,” said Olăroiu.

Temur Kapadze, head coach of the Uzbekistan national team, also shared his thoughts.

“We have studied the opponent and prepared thoroughly. Although they have a new coach, he was not present today, but we tried to analyze their recent games. Still, our focus is on our own game. The players have worked hard to reach this point. Two important matches lie ahead, and everything is in our hands. We need to win tomorrow and then prepare for the next match. Former head coach Srečko Katanec is in good health, and his assistants are currently working with the team,” Kapadze said. 

Uzbekistan international Jaloliddin Masharipov spoke with determination and passion.

“Tomorrow, we need to make history. It should be a day of joy for the Uzbek people. We will try to make it a big celebration for everyone. We have come this far for a reason. The time has come to qualify for the World Cup. We have no right to make excuses tomorrow. We’ve already come through many tests. Our goal is to make all of Uzbekistan proud,” he said.

The match between the UAE and Uzbekistan kicks off today, June 5, at 21:00 Tashkent time. A draw would secure Uzbekistan’s place in the FIFA World Cup for the first time in its history.