Cannavaro’s Trust, a Dip in Form and a New Legionnaire: Dostonbek Hamdamov Speaks Candidly

having thrashed Jordanian club Al Hussein 3–0 in the AFC Champions League Elite qualifying round, Pakhtakor secured a place in the AFC Champions League Elite group stage. At the press conference held after this impressive and important victory, Lions head coach Emiliano Caras and the match’s best player, brace scorer Dostonbek Hamdamov, answered journalists’ questions in detail.

Emiliano Caras: “In the Super League, opponents play against us at 200 percent”

The Tashkent club’s coach said he was completely satisfied with the team’s performance and spoke about their results in the Super League and the players’ mental state:

“The emotions are very positive. We completely controlled the game today. Of course, we wanted to score more goals, but the most important thing is that we kept a clean sheet and created enough dangerous chances. The whole team performed very well on the pitch. I would like to give special thanks to our fans”, the coach said.

Asked by journalists why Pakhtakor has been unable to produce such impressive performances in the domestic league, Caras replied:

“We are also thinking a lot about this issue and are constantly working on the players’ mental state. The footballers need to enjoy the game when they step onto the pitch. We have dropped many points during the season. I hope today’s big win will give the team even more confidence. Every player must show their maximum. Now we will focus on the upcoming matches. We must not forget that every Super League opponent against Pakhtakor takes the field with 200% effort and passion. Our goal is the same — to win every match”.

Dostonbek Hamdamov: A dip in his career, Cannavaro’s trust and the new legionnaire

Dostonbek Hamdamov, who scored a brace and was named the best player of the match, candidly answered critical questions about his national-team career and physical form:

— Before you returned to the national team, it seemed that your career was experiencing a dip. You have been delivering impressive performances since the World Cup qualifiers. How significant was the role of Fabio Cannavaroin this?

— I do not really agree with the idea that my career was experiencing a dip. I always give my best in training to help my team. In a sense, perhaps my style of play on the pitch did not fit the tactics of the previous coaches. Cannavaro believed in me and called me up to the national team. I tried to justify that trust. Even if there was some decline in previous seasons, it ultimately became valuable experience for me.

— How would you assess new striker Ayman Hussein’s current physical form?

— Ayman himself openly admitted that he is not yet in optimal form. He played for 75 minutes today and put in a useful performance. We now have two strong strikers in the squad. I hope Ayman will regain his form with every game. Until now, he had been training individually, but there is a big difference between individual training and official match practice.

— Pakhtakor had not beaten an opponent 3–0 this season. Was the opposition really that weak?

— It would be wrong to speak negatively about the opposition. Al Hussein’s lack of domestic league matches and the addition of nine new players to the squad worked against them. But the most important thing is that our boys simply flew across the pitch today!

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