Uzbekistan secured a place at the FIFA World Cup for the first time in their history, earning a landmark qualification following a 0-0 draw with the United Arab Emirates in Abu Dhabi on Thursday.
The result ensured Uzbekistan finished in the top two of Group A in the AFC qualifiers, joining group leaders Iran in advancing to the 2026 tournament, which will feature an expanded 48-team format.
Head coach Timur Kapadze praised his team's determination and resilience. “We have achieved an important result after a long and difficult journey. A lot of work was done for this result. I sincerely congratulate our people,” he told local outlet Zamin. “This is not only our victory, but the victory of our entire people.”
Uzbekistan had previously failed in seven World Cup qualification campaigns since gaining independence in 1991. The country has long been a regional football contender, winning the 1994 Asian Games and investing heavily in youth development in recent years.
Kapadze, who earned 119 caps for the national team and led the U-23 side at the 2024 Olympics, took over as head coach in January after Srecko Katanec stepped down due to illness. His leadership has been credited with galvanizing a new generation of talent, including Manchester City’s 21-year-old defender Abdukodir Khusanov.
The draw in Abu Dhabi capped a strong qualifying campaign, with Kapadze’s team praised for its discipline and composure under pressure. “Before the game, everyone expressed confidence in our victory. This became both a responsibility and a pressure for us — but we overcame it,” Kapadze said.
The achievement sparked celebrations back home, and President Shavkat Mirziyoyev personally congratulated the squad. “In a fierce competition against the strongest teams in Asia, you demonstrated true character, unbreakable will, and professionalism,” he said in a message to the team.
Uzbekistan now looks ahead to its debut on football’s biggest stage in 2026, marking a new chapter for the Central Asian nation’s football ambitions.
China’s top leadership has unveiled a new push to turn advanced technologies into large-scale industrial priorities as part of the country&rs...
U.S. President Donald Trump has said the United States has a “virtually unlimited supply” of munitions and is capable of sustaining mil...
Türkiye’s President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has described the ongoing U.S.–Israeli military campa...
The United Nations has called for an investigation into a deadly attack o...
U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. military has enough stockpiled weapons to fight wars 'forever' in a so...
U.S. President Donald Trump has said the United States has a “virtually unlimited supply” of munitions and is capable of sustaining military action indefinitely, as the conflict with Iran entered its fourth day.
The United Nations has called for an investigation into a deadly attack on a girls’ primary school in Iran, which Iranian officials say has killed more than 100 children. The U.S. has said its forces “would not” deliberately target a school.
Kazakhstan has vowed to speed up its investigation into the Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) crash near Aktau, as mounting diplomatic pressure and geopolitical tensions push the disaster further into the international spotlight.
Shahid Motahari Sub-Speciality Hospital in northern Tehran and parts of the Golestan Palace were bombed on day two of the U.S.‑Israel strikes. AnewZ Touraj Shiralilou is in Iran's capital city and said that the facility was flattened in an airstrike.
The Kremlin is utilising the recent United States and Israeli military strikes on Iran to validate its ongoing war in Ukraine. Russian officials are pointing to the escalation in the Middle East as evidence that Western nations do not adhere to international rules.
Saudi Arabia’s state oil giant Saudi Aramco closed its Ras Tanura refinery on Monday following an Iranian drone strike, an industry source told Reuters as Tehran retaliated across the Gulf after a U.S.-Israeli attack on Iranian targets over the weekend.
The Middle East crisis intensifies after the deadly attack on the compound of the Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei on Saturday that killed him, other family members and senior figures. Iran has launched retaliatory strikes on U.S. targets in the region.
U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. military has enough stockpiled weapons to fight wars 'forever' in a social media post late on Monday. The remarks came hours before conflict in Iran and the Middle East entered its fourth day.
Türkiye raised its security level for Turkish-flagged vessels in the Strait of Hormuz to Level 3 on Sunday (2 March). The development follows Iranian restrictions on shipping after U.S. and Israeli strikes and confirmation of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s death.
Türkiye’s President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has described the ongoing U.S.–Israeli military campaign against Iran as a “clear violation of international law”, in his strongest remarks yet on the escalating regional crisis.
U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. military has enough stockpiled weapons to fight wars 'forever' in a social media post late on Monday. The remarks came hours before conflict in Iran and the Middle East entered its fourth day.
Kazakhstan has vowed to speed up its investigation into the Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) crash near Aktau, as mounting diplomatic pressure and geopolitical tensions push the disaster further into the international spotlight.
Entrances to Iran's underground and previously bombed uranium-enrichment plant at Natanz have been struck as part of the U.S.-Israeli military attacks on the country, the United Nations nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEZ) confirmed on Tuesday (3 March).
The Israeli military deployed additional forces to southern Lebanon overnight, to take up what a military spokesperson on Tuesday (3 March) described as "defensive positions" aimed at protecting Israeli civilians and strategic sites from potential Hezbollah attacks.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment