Ruziqul Berdiyev responds sharply to draw with Surkhon, fatigue, and criticism

1 November 2026, 07:46·66·Sport

In the Uzbekistan Super League, Karshi's Nasaf club played out a 1-1 draw in a tough away match against Surkhon. After the match, the head coach of the Karshi side, Ruziqul Berdiyev attended the press conference and gave open and firm answers regarding the factors behind the lackluster performance, the inability to convert goal-scoring chances, fatigue caused by a tight schedule, and recent failures on the international stage.

“We could have been 2-0 up by the 15th minute”

The expert first addressed the state of the pitch and the team's main shortcoming:

“Perhaps the pitch condition affected us today — the game was characterized by many individual duels and was not as meaningful as expected. Nevertheless, both sides created enough favorable opportunities.
We could have been leading 2-0 by the 15th minute. Bobur, Pata, and our other players had very good chances. However, the inability to finish situations with composure is becoming our headache and one of our main problems today. We also struggled a bit in transitioning to counter-attacks.”

Defensive problems and the impact of a tight schedule

Berdiyev, noting that matches played only two days apart are seriously damaging the players' physical condition, explained the opponent's pressure in the final minutes as fatigue:

Playing on the third day: “We took the field again after only a two-day break. Due to fatigue, in some situations, we are failing to keep up with the opponent's quick movements.”
Gaps in defensive recovery: Players who committed too much energy to the attack could not return in time due to fatigue, which allowed Surkhon to create dangerous situations at the end of the game.

Comparison with the Kuwaiti club: Difference in conditions and opportunities

Responding to Jelicic's thoughts on the “three-day schedule and recovery,” the coach explained that it is extremely difficult to achieve this in Uzbekistan without a deep squad and with long travels:

“That is Jelicic's personal opinion. In our climate and current situation, it is very difficult to adapt to this process. Especially where foreign travel is involved.
For example, let's take our AFC Champions League opponent, the Kuwaiti team. They flew to Karshi four days early on a charter flight, returned immediately after the match, and today they are resting after canceling their domestic league game. We, however, have to travel long distances to Kuwait and play continuously in the domestic league. It is very difficult to endure this tempo with one main squad.”

“Those who say Nasaf is causing harm are deeply mistaken”: Response to ACL criticism

Ruziqul Berdiyev gave a sharp rebuttal to the critical question about whether the team's recent international results are harming Uzbek football:

Ranking and opportunities: “This could be someone's personal, completely wrong view. Nasaf has been providing great help to Uzbek football. Our team's high results on the international stage have created quotas for other Uzbek clubs to participate in the ACL.”
Complexity of the international stage: “The current situation is difficult for all Uzbek clubs, not just Nasaf. It is unfair to shift the blame only on us. Nasaf has been a huge help to Uzbek football and will continue to be.”