Forward Igor Sergeev, who plays for the Uzbekistan national team at the Al Ain International Cup-2025 in Al Ain, shared his thoughts on the upcoming matches. He emphasized that although the competition is in a small format, the level of the opponents is serious and requires maximum effort in every game.
Sergeev said that this mini-tournament, consisting of two games, serves as an important experience for the team. "The competition is not big, but the opponents are very strong. Our victory over Egypt is the result of hard work. Now again Iran is before us. I am sure that it will be an extremely fierce, competitive contest. We will look for the opponent's weaknesses, we will fight, we will all have one goal - victory," he said.
The footballer also recalled the match against Egypt. He emphasized that the goal scored at the start of the game gave the team great confidence. "Opening the scoring in the first half gave us strength. Then the coach chose to strengthen the defense by reducing attacks - this is a completely logical decision. We had to keep the score, and the guys understood this well," Sergeev emphasized.
During the conversation, he also briefly commented on the World Cup. According to him, the main focus now is on ensuring the team prepares in the right rhythm and puts all their effort into every game. "I'm not thinking about the 2026 World Cup. On the one hand, I want to play against world-class teams, but on the other hand, I don't want the competition in our group to be unbearable. Let's see what the lottery offers. We will be physically ready and mentally prepared. Most importantly, if given the opportunity, we will make every effort," said the striker.
The final against Iran will be the coach's first official test against this team. It was noted that Sergeev himself and the entire team are ready to give everything for victory. The fans, however, expect a high spirits and an impressive performance from the next fierce clash.
Read “Zamin” on Telegram!
Users of Меҳмон are not allowed to comment this publication.
