Qodirov: We won't graduate from this school in 100 years unless we think like the Japanese

Alisher Qodirov, Chairman of the "National Revival" DP, commented on the unsuccessful participation of the Uzbekistan national team in the World Cup 2026 group stage. After the match against DR Congo (1:3), the politician posted a sharp and reflective message on his Telegram channel:

"0 is the coach's work, the goalkeeper, the team spirit, the points accumulated, the value bought for billions of expenses, and hope for the future…

Unless we think like the Japanese, who are in the 8th grade, while we are in the 1st grade struggling to put letters together, we won't graduate from this school even in 100 years…"

Alisher Qodirov attached a video of his conversation with Japanese specialist Sato San to his post. Below is the text version of this interesting interview.

Sato San: "Defeat is a very good thing"

— Sato San, you watched the football too, yet you speak as if you want it to be even worse. Please explain why.

— Defeat is a very good thing. In 1998, Japan qualified for the World Cup for the first time, and the whole country rejoiced. But the result was harsh: we lost all three group stage matches. Many were discouraged, some said "we can't produce footballers," others looked for someone to blame. Europeans even mocked us, asking "who let you play football?"

But the Japanese football officials took the right path. They didn't blame the referee, luck, or the opponent. They asked themselves one question: what did we do wrong? That single question changed our entire football history.

"Until the coach comes from your own nation..."

— Then another important point: until the coach comes from your own nation, you cannot achieve great results. A foreign coach may try, but without the concepts of nation and homeland, they won't fight with their whole soul.

The Japanese have a proverb: "Fall seven times, stand up eight". They also stood up: they focused on youth football, trained coaches, developed academies, and most importantly — they didn't rush. An 80-year strategy was developed and implemented. Because they knew well that a tree planted today does not bear fruit tomorrow.

What is the biggest defeat?

— Years later, Japan reached a level where it could play confidently against the world's strongest teams. Then I realized: the biggest defeat in the World Cup is not 0:5 or 0:7. The biggest defeat is when you stop learning after losing.

That is why I said it was good for your country (Uzbekistan) to lose. Today's defeat can be the foundation of tomorrow's victory. Be humble when you win, and patient when you lose. Human life is not just one match; life is a long championship.