In the quarterfinal of the Uzbekistan Cup, Bunyodkor hosted Bukhara, and the dramatic clash ended 2-4 in favor of the visitors. After the match, Bunyodkor head coach Ilyos Zeytullaev shared his thoughts at the press conference.
About the match
— First of all, I sincerely congratulate Bukhara on reaching the semifinals. Today’s defeat is not a reason to justify or criticize anyone. I can only say this: this match was a big lesson for me. Such games help a coach gain experience. Our players worked hard and even managed to level the score at 2-2. But in the last twenty days, the team has played its fourth or fifth match, and fatigue showed. Unfortunately, we drifted away from our usual playing style. I take full responsibility. The players tried to do everything I asked of them. From now on, we must look forward, not back, — said the coach.
About the opponent’s game
— Honestly, today I saw more fire in the eyes of Bukhara’s players. That happens in football. We must admit the opponent played attacking and committed football. But this defeat does not mean everything is over. In football, you either win or lose. If you win, you celebrate; if you lose, you congratulate the opponent, — noted Zeytullaev.
About motivation and missing factors
— When we equalized 2-2, hope arose, and we aimed for victory. As I said, the players were tired, but Bukhara also has been playing a lot of matches. This must be acknowledged. In addition, some of our players had injuries, which also affected us. Recently, many of them have been playing almost 90 minutes in every game. Naturally, that leaves its mark. Now we will take a little rest and focus on the remaining rounds of the Super League, — Zeytullaev concluded.
According to the specialist, this defeat will serve as a serious lesson for Bunyodkor. The team now aims to finish the Super League season with dignity.
Read 'Zamin' on Telegram!
