The Uzbekistan national team, which is thoroughly preparing for the 2026 World Cup, is effectively using the international break in November. This time, the team, led by Fabio Cannavaro, will take another serious step in preparing itself for the World Cup by participating in the prestigious International Al Ain Cup in the United Arab Emirates.
The tournament, scheduled for November 14-17, will also feature qualifying teams such as Egypt, Iran, and Cape Verde. So, there is no doubt about the level of competition - every game is a test of the strong.
Uzbekistan will start the first training camp with a match against Egypt. Before this match, the soccer365 website compiled and presented a number of interesting facts for Uzbek fans. What is the state of our team? What is the situation with the Egyptian national team? Let's consider each aspect in detail.
Uzbekistan lost only once in 2025
The national team's historical path was initiated by Timur Kapadze - it was he who led Uzbekistan to the first World Cup. However, a month ago, there was a rotation of positions: Fabio Cannavaro was appointed head coach, and Kapadze became his assistant.
In the October friendly matches, Uzbekistan defeated Kuwait 2-0 and lost to Uruguay in a hard-fought match with a score of 1:2. The changes in the coaching staff continued after that. Kapadze, who actively assisted in Kannavaro's adaptation process, later decided to leave the team and start an independent career.
Cannavaro, in turn, added Italian specialist Carlo Alberto Bertone to the staff - he had studied local football well during his time at Bunyodkor.
Khusanov has returned to the field, while Shomurodov is in top form
There were no major changes in the composition. The biggest news is the reinstatement of Abdukodir Khusanov. He suffered from an injury for several months, but regained consciousness and even managed to play in the cup match against Manchester City. He is currently training full-time with the national team.
Eldor Shomurodov is having his most productive season in recent years. He scored 8 goals in 18 matches for Istanbul Bashakshehir, coming into excellent form, especially in recent matches. It's still remembered that he scored the winning goal against Kuwait.
Uzbekistan has long been reliable in big games
In the 2024 Asian Cup, a draw with Australia (1:1) and a penalty loss against Qatar proved that the team can prove itself even against top competitors.
In the qualifying round, they were undefeated in both matches against Iran (0-0 and 2-2), while Qatar was pushed back by a large 3-0 score. Iran also lost 1-0 in the 2025 CAFA Nations Cup final.
The only defeat of the year was a hard-fought 1-2 loss against Uruguay under Cannavaro.
Egypt - the "strongest wall" of the qualifying round
The Egyptian national team played the World Cup qualifiers almost perfectly: 8 wins and 2 draws in 10 matches. Interestingly, they haven't scored a goal in a single game throughout 2025.
They also won two friendly matches against Tunisia (1-0, 3-0).
The last official match was played on October 12. Now their next step is the match against Uzbekistan in the Al Ain Cup.
In Egypt, the coach's decision is at the center of discussion
Husam Hasan didn't make a big sensation. However, the absence of Al-Ahli and Zamalek players sparked heated discussions around the team. Yassir Ibrahim, Ahmad Kuka, and others were dissatisfied with the situation. Nevertheless, the club management approves this decision.
The most exciting news is Liverpool star Mohamed Salah's arrival at the national team. He arrived at the camp in excellent spirits, having scored three goals in the last three club matches.
Egypt eliminated defense problems
The 2024 Africa Cup of Nations was unsuccessful for Egypt: they failed to play a single clean sheet in 4 matches and conceded a total of 7 goals. After that, the coach worked seriously on the mistakes. The result is the most effective defense of World Cup qualifiers: only 2 goals were conceded in 10 rounds.
Therefore, forecasts before the match are cautious: experts consider the 1:1 draw as realistic.
Conclusion
The Al Ain Cup is not only a friendly tournament, but also a real test before the World Cup. Uzbekistan's updated lineup, Cannavaro's new style, Shomurodov's jersey, and Khusanov's return - all of these offer great hope.
Egypt, in turn, is very orderly, has a strong defense, and is in high form under Salah's leadership.
So, we have a very interesting and principled confrontation ahead of us.
Read “Zamin” on Telegram!
Users of Меҳмон are not allowed to comment this publication.
