Uzbekistan national team footballer Otabek Shukurov shared his thoughts after the friendly match against Gabon (3:1) within the FIFA Series. According to him, despite the team still having shortcomings in conducting the game at a high level, the main focus was on securing the victory.
— I cannot say that we played a good match. However, the satisfactory part is that we won. We will try to prepare thoroughly for the next match and act properly on the field. The national team gathered after a long break, and the level of the opponent also had a noticeable impact, — said Shukurov.
In response to a journalist’s question, Shukurov described the main strengths of the Gabon team as follows:
— African teams are physically well-prepared and play more unconventionally. For this reason, some difficulties arose on the field. I repeat, we could not conduct the game at a very high level.
Shukurov also shared his opinion about what was lacking in the team:
— Every player has a place in the team, and I cannot say that something was missing. Due to a large number of injured players, some participants remained without game practice. The situation in Iran also had its influence. All this is considered in training, and gradually improvements are noticeable.
Regarding Fabio Cannavaro calling the players to him at the 17–18th minute and giving instructions, Shukurov said:
— He emphasized that what was done in training was not being repeated on the field. Oston Urunov was explained that he was going out incorrectly in pressing. Everyone has difficulty pressing together at the same time. We could not implement on the field the plans developed by the coaches before the game: both in pressing and in exiting pressing. Instructions were given regarding these aspects. The first half was very difficult. In the second half, we tried to improve our actions. We will try to organize the next match even better, — said Otabek Shukurov.
In conclusion, from Shukurov’s words it follows that he strives not only for team victory but also to perfect each of his actions and responsibilities on the field. For the fans, his activity and discipline on the field remain interesting and highly anticipated.
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