Man City centre-back helps Uzbekistan qualify for World Cup for first time in history

TPO - With the excellence of Khusanov and his teammates in defense, Uzbekistan successfully defended their net to qualify for the 2026 World Cup with one match left to play.

Uzbekistan and UAE meet in what is considered the final match of Group A because one of the two teams can go through after this match. The gap between UAE and Uzbekistan is 4 points so UAE knows that only a win can help them hold on to their hope of winning a direct ticket.

With home advantage, UAE attacked their opponents overwhelmingly in the early stages. However, the home team had limitations in the final coordination, causing key situations to not be fully exploited.

In addition, Uzbekistan's possession of a solid central defender Khusanov also caused the UAE strikers to face numerous difficulties. That situation was maintained throughout the first half, causing the home team to only have 4 shots on goal.

After a goalless first half, the UAE unleashed their full strength in the second half. The mobility of their small, agile and skillful players helped the home team frequently put the opponent's goal in danger.

But this time, it was the Uzbekistan goalkeeper's turn to show his talent. He blocked all 5 dangerous shots from the UAE side, helping to protect Uzbekistan's net. The match ended 0-0, and with Iraq losing 0-2 to South Korea, Uzbekistan officially won the 2nd ticket in Group A to the 2026 World Cup. With only 1 match left, they are 4 points ahead of the 3rd place.

Overall, Group A is done. North Korea and Kyrgyzstan are in the bottom two, South Korea and Uzbekistan have secured two direct tickets to the finals, and Qatar and UAE have advanced to the final qualifying round. The reigning Asian champions had a disappointing qualifying journey, finishing fourth. However, with the advantage of being the host in the final qualifying round, they are still full of hope to continue.

Dang Lai

Source: https://tienphong.vn/trung-ve-man-city-giup-uzbekistan-lan-dau-tien-trong-lich-su-tham-du-world-cup-post1748751.tpo