The Al-Ain Cup international tournament, organized in Qatar and bringing together the national teams of four countries participating in the 2026 World Cup - Uzbekistan, Iran, Egypt, and Cape Verde - has become a testing ground in a certain sense. This competition became an important platform for each team, showing opportunities, strengths, and shortcomings. And it was among these competitions that the Uzbekistan national team managed to emerge as the winner.
Initially, Oston Urunov's two skillful shots laid the groundwork for defeating the Egyptian national team. The 2-0 victory against the opponent, led by Mohamed Salah, instilled great confidence in football fans. After that, the most important match - the final confrontation - took place against Iran.
The dramatic finale intensified in the 69th minute. When the mistake made by defender Abdulla Abdullayev became increasingly dangerous, Abduqodir Husanov resolutely began to stop the attack against the opponent. However, the referee deemed the move rude and sent the young defender off the field. After that, our national team was forced to play with one man down for almost 20 minutes.
Pressure from Iranian players has increased, with more corner kicks and dangerous shots. But Fabio Cannavaro's men didn't lose their composure until the last minute, maintaining discipline and firmly defending the goal. In particular, Abduvohid Nematov's recovery of several difficult shots kept the team in the game.
Since the score was not opened in regular time, the winner was determined by penalties. In the exciting competition, Ne'matov once again became the hero. His saves proved effective, and Uzbekistan won the main prize of the Al-Ain Cup with a score of 4:3.
After the competition, foreign experts are also discussing this final in detail. In particular, football analyst Nikolay Yegorichev highlighted Abdukodir Khusanov's removal from the field. In his opinion, the defender could overcome the situation not by throwing the ball, but by making the right positional choice.
Yegorichev also noted that it is natural for Fabio Cannavaro, as a former world-class defender, to analyze this mistake individually with Abdukodir. He believes this situation could be a valuable lesson for the young defender and a valuable lesson for the national team.
Nevertheless, it is impossible not to recognize the general game, discipline, and character of Uzbekistan. The team withstood the opponent's pressure even with one man down, and in the penalty shootout, they still managed to say their word. This victory demonstrates the team's spirit, the strength of the match, and the fact that preparation for the World Cup is growing not on paper, but in practice.
This victory, recorded at Al-Ain, has become a valuable feeling for the players, coaches, and every fan. Our team passed the test and emerged from it even stronger.
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