“Defence is our biggest headache”: Kapadze discusses shortcomings after yesterday’s match

The Uzbekistan Super League Matchday 17 clash between Navbahor and Bunyodkor turned into a genuine goal fest. In a fiercely contested seven-goal match, the Namangan side secured an important comeback victory, winning 4–3.

After the final whistle, the Falcons’ head coach Temur Kapadze spoke to journalists at a press conference, discussing the match’s difficult aspects, defensive problems and changes to the lineup in detail.

“We let the game slip after going 2–0 up”

Temur Kapadze spoke passionately about the hard-fought victory and the shortcomings in the defensive line:

“First of all, I congratulate the Navbahor fans on this difficult victory. We should not have made the game so complicated. We were leading 2–0 and should have scored more goals.

I don’t know whether Muhammadali G‘iyosov’s injury had an impact, but the boys eased off a little. It was frustrating that every shot by the opposition ended up in our net. Our defensive mistakes are currently our biggest headache. We will work on these shortcomings because we conceded some very easy goals. A serious battle against Nasaf awaits us.”

G‘iyosov’s injury and rotation in the lineup

The coach also shared encouraging news about Muhammadali G‘iyosov, who was forced off during the match after scoring a goal:

“We were seriously worried at first. The doctors examined him and, fortunately, the injury is not too serious. He has only slightly twisted his leg.

As for the changes to the lineup, the players are showing signs of fatigue because of the congested schedule. I fully trust every player on the bench. Jiyanov, Usmonov and Abdurahmonov came on and did a good job of increasing the tempo.”

Why did Abdulla Abdullayev leave the team without making a single appearance?

At the press conference, clarification was also provided on experienced midfielder Abdulla Abdullayev, who had recently joined the team but soon moved to Neftchi:

“We had signed Abdullayev to a five-month contract, meaning until the end of the year. We knew he was injured and expected him to recover within a month. However, a follow-up X-ray taken a month later showed that his bone would need considerably more time to heal.

If the contract had been for one and a half to two years, we could have waited. We had agreed in advance that the deal would be cancelled if the injury dragged on. His full recovery would have taken two or three months, by which time the season would have ended. Neftchi offered him a long-term contract, and that was the right decision. We parted ways with the club’s management on friendly terms. He is a strong footballer and our national team will still need him a lot,” Kapadze concluded.

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