Russian Coach Openly Discusses Uzbekistan's Main Problem
The unsuccessful participation of the Uzbekistan national team in the 2026 World Cup is being discussed in Russia. Coach Igor Kolivanov noted a lack of experience and team cohesion, while also criticizing the effort of some players.
In his opinion, qualifying for the World Cup was a great achievement for Uzbekistan. However, the team lacked the cohesion and high-level experience needed to compete effectively at the World Cup level.
«There is nothing to evaluate»
Kolivanov stated that it is not right to judge Uzbekistan's World Cup participation solely by the results.
«The fact that they reached the final stage is a great achievement. Of course, experience was lacking», the specialist said.
At the same time, he emphasized that the national team could have acted more disciplined and cohesively on the pitch.
Lack of cohesion in Uzbekistan
The Russian coach compared Uzbekistan with the Cape Verde national team.
According to him, the Cape Verde players fought until the end, held the defensive line well, and fulfilled the tasks set by the coach.
Uzbekistan, by contrast, appeared fragmented on the field.
«Uzbekistan did not look like a cohesive team. That is why they conceded so many goals», said Kolivanov.
Comments on Shomurodov and Husanov
Kolivanov also noted that the majority of Uzbekistan's players do not play for major European clubs.
He mentioned Eldor Shomurodov as an exception, as the striker has played in the Italian and Russian leagues.
He also shared his thoughts on Manchester City defender Abdukodir Husanov.
«Husanov is there, but he also made serious mistakes in this tournament», the specialist said.
Three games — three defeats
Under the leadership of Fabio Cannavaro, Uzbekistan missed every opportunity in the group stage.
Match | Score |
|---|---|
Uzbekistan — Colombia | 1:3 |
Portugal — Uzbekistan | 5:0 |
DR Congo — Uzbekistan | 3:1 |
Our national team scored two goals and conceded 11 across three matches.
«They tried, but it didn't work»
Kolivanov did not deny that the Uzbekistan players tried. However, he rated the overall level of the team as average.
«They tried, but it didn't work. Such things happen in football», he said.
According to the coach, the main shortcomings at the World Cup were:
lack of international experience;
fragmentation in defense;
lack of team cohesion;
failure to fully execute the coach's tasks;
individual errors in decisive situations.
Will the first World Cup be a lesson for the future?
Uzbekistan participated in the World Cup for the first time in its history. Although the result was not as expected, the experience gained in such a tournament could be of great importance for the future.
Now the national team faces the task of analyzing the World Cup mistakes, improving defensive discipline, and increasing the number of players playing at a high level.
Do you think Uzbekistan's biggest problem at the World Cup was a lack of experience or a lack of teamwork? Leave your opinion in the comments and share this article with football fans.
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