Uzbekistan defeats Lebanon by narrow margin

On January 7, the Uzbekistan Olympic national team began its Asian Cup campaign. Ravshan Haydarov’s side faced Lebanon in the opening round and secured a confident victory.

The Uzbek players started the match on the front foot and created several scoring opportunities in the first half. In the 24th minute, Amirbek Saidov converted one of those chances to put his team ahead. The score remained unchanged until the break.

The second half also unfolded under the dominance of the Uzbekistan Olympic team. In the 50th minute, Khayrullaev found the net to give his side a more comfortable advantage. Seven minutes later, Bahromov added another goal to extend the lead. In the 65th minute, Lebanon’s Farah Shahin scored to reduce the deficit. During the seven minutes of stoppage time, the same player struck again, setting the final score at 3–2.

For reference, in the tournament hosted by Saudi Arabia, the Uzbekistan Olympic national team has been placed in Group C alongside the national teams of Lebanon, Iran, and South Korea. The remaining group-stage matches are scheduled for January 10 and 13.