0:1 in the 88th minute, 2:1 in the 90+7th! Neftchi coach speaks about the miraculous comeback

One of the most dramatic and intense matches of the current Uzbekistan Super League season took place in Fergana. Neftchi, marching boldly toward the championship, hosted AGMK on their home turf, showed true willpower, and secured a 2:1 victory.

The fate of the match was decided in the final minutes: although the visitors opened the scoring via a penalty in the 88th minute, the Fergana side equalized in the 90th minute and scored the winning goal in the final second of the 7 minutes added by the head referee.

After this clash, Neftchi head coach Islom Ismoilov attended the press conference and answered important questions openly.

"This is the team's character": How did the miracle in Fergana happen?

Islom Ismoilov attributed the dramatic turnaround in the final seconds to the team's mental strength:

• Belief until the final whistle: After conceding a goal in the 88th minute, the team realized they had nothing to lose and threw everything forward. The coach emphasized that the belief in victory did not fade until the very last second;

• Championship pressure: "The closer we get to the gold medals, the more the pressure increases. It is not easy for the players or for me to overcome this. But the support of the management and the regional governor is helping us get out of difficult situations," the head coach said;

• "We came back from the brink": It was noted that after criticism on social media, unity was maintained within the team, personal egos were set aside, and everyone united for a common victory.

Young hero Sarsenbayev and Kouao, who arrived from Africa to play

At the press conference, special attention was also paid to important decisions and heroes within the team:

• Sarsenbayev's risky decision: Due to the injury of main striker Marushich and Peritsa playing through an injury, Ismoilov brought on young striker Nurbek Sarsenbayev, who had scored 2 goals for the reserves just yesterday, and this decision paid off 100 percent. The young player, who has a contract until 2028, scored a goal and laid the foundation for the victory;

• Koffi Kouao's resilience: The African defender spent eight days on his continent to fix his passport and arrived just one day before the match. Despite not training for a week, he started in the main lineup, gave his all, and left the field at the end of the match with the help of medical staff due to muscle pain.

"No one has the right to rest in football"

Speaking about the upcoming break during the FIFA days, the Neftchi coach firmly emphasized that the team will not stop:

"There is no such concept as resting in football. If you stop, you go backward. We live by football. We will continue to move toward our goal by holding training sessions and friendly matches according to the plan."