All the familiar faces. Uzbekistan national team beats Iran after the World Cup

All the Familiar Faces. Uzbekistan National Team Beats Iran After World Cup

This year, the emotions of Uzbekistani football fans swung from ecstasy over the national team's historic first qualification for the World Cup to despair over the uncertain future of the squad, which, following failures at the tournament, ended up far from where the football community expected it to be. Nearly a month later, at a press conference, head coach Fabio Cannavaro still refused to admit to any major miscalculations in preparing for the world championship, triggering a new wave of outrage and demands for his immediate resignation.

The main grievance of experts and fans against the Italian is the lack of any serious rebuilding of the national team, both tactically and through the introduction of fresh new talent. During the team's first training camp, which kicked off preparations for the January 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia, the coaching staff conducted an impressive review of Uzbekistan's football reserves.

There are 32 names in the squad list for the September-October matches against Iran, Syria, and South Korea. Seven of them were called up by Cannavaro for the first time, while another four had already attended the January and May camps but were dropped before the World Cup.

Wanted new faces? Here they are. A real assembly line — you can barely keep up with writing them down. Nurmukhammad Abduganiev, Mukhammad Khakimov, Giyosjon Rizakulov, Azizbek Tulkinbekov, Bekhruz Uktamov, Diyor Kholmatov, Mukhammadali Urinboev.

Much more intriguing is the list of those who were not invited to the current games. Among them are previously almost "untouchable" players like Utkir Yusupov, Otabek Shukurov, Oston Urunov, Rustam Ashurmatov, and Farrukh Sayfiev. Jaloliddin Masharipov is also still absent, as his injuries have turned one of the team's leaders into a constant lineup lottery.

At the same time, the Italian has not started any revolution yet. The list still includes Abduvokhid Nematov, Abdukodir Khusanov, Abbosbek Fayzullaev, Odiljon Khamrobekov, Aziz Ganiev, Akmal Mozgovoy, Dostonbek Khamdamov, and Eldor Shomurodov. Cannavaro is doing something far more unpleasant for the experienced players — creating competition in positions that previously seemed completely secure. Now, the coaching staff has one small problem: out of all this wealth, they still need to assemble what is essentially a new team.

Of the Uzbekistan national team's three sparring matches, it is the encounters with the Iranians — known for their unyielding character and status as one of the leaders of Asian football — that have often transcended the friendly status in terms of intensity. Furthermore, the Iranian national team is also a participant in the upcoming continental tournament, providing a backdrop against which more precise and reliable information could be gathered. In Fergana, the "Princes of Persia" appeared with an experimental lineup: after the 2026 World Cup, where the Iranians were the oldest squad in the tournament, coach Amir Ghalenoei, like Cannavaro, is searching for new partnerships and lines for his team.

Driven by the packed stands of the Istiqlol Stadium, which rarely sees the country's best footballers in action, the Uzbekistan national team started the match with active pressing and an onslaught that delighted the fans. The visitors seemed to still be in the dressing room during the opening minutes and conceded a quick goal as early as the 10th minute. Experienced Iranian defender Ehsan Hajsafi made an ill-advised square pass across the penalty area straight to the feet of Shomurodov; the Uzbek "Goldor" intercepted the ball and fired a low shot into the far corner — 1:0.

Overall, Cannavaro fielded a fairly constructive lineup, but with very familiar faces — featuring the trio of Fayzullaev, Mozgovoy, and Khamdamov in midfield, the defensive midfield duo of Ganiev and Khamrabekov, and a back four led by Khusanov — how could they do without him. The Uzbek players tried to build a combination-based game with an emphasis on medium and short passing, though they did not abandon their usual long balls to Shomurodov either.

Backup goalkeeper Vladimir Nazarov, who got his chance due to Nematov's injury, was frankly bored in goal for a long time, but the Iranians, who came alive by the middle of the match, gave him an opportunity to play the hero: just before the halftime whistle, Mehdi Taremi got on the end of a cross into the box and headed point-blank under the crossbar, but Nazarov rose to the occasion — in every sense of the word.

In the second half, the visitors fully engaged in the game and pushed it into the opponent's half. A key role in this was played by one of the team's leaders, Serdar Azmoun, who had returned from disfavor in his homeland and appeared on the pitch in Fergana. The Iranians managed to equalize just as quickly as the hosts had scored in the first half. In the 50th minute, Mohammad Mohebi delivered a free kick from the left flank into the six-yard box, and Jakhongir Urozov, battling with Rezaeian, deflected the ball into his own net, leaving Nazarov completely bewildered — 1:1.

Then came the turn of Russian referee Kirill Levnikov, who had long remained in the shadows of the match, to make his presence felt. Defender Bekhruz Karimov cleverly positioned himself in the penalty box to draw contact from Iranian goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand and won a penalty, although the contact looked far too light for such a harsh punishment. At the recent World Cup, in which both teams participated, such penalties were not given, but friendly matches have their own rules: Shomurodov was precise and completed his brace — 2:1.

After this, Cannavaro finally remembered his promise to field new players and brought Ruslanbek Jiyanov and Diyor Kholmatov off the bench. The former immediately joined the action, but his activity almost cost the team playing the remaining time with a depleted squad.

By the 80th minute, the attention of everyone watching on screens and in the stadium shifted back to the Russian referee: Levnikov briefly put on a card show in front of Jiyanov — showing a yellow, then pulling out a red. However, the VAR team suggested a review: the foul on Ezatolahi did not warrant a red card, and the referee rescinded the dismissal to an appreciative sigh from the stadium.

The other substitutions proved much more productive. Husain Norchaev, who came on for Shomurodov in the dying minutes of the match, actively connected in stoppage time with a pass from the left flank by another reserve, Makhmudjon Makhamadjonov, and beat the towering Beiranvand with a shot under the crossbar, setting the final score at 3:1.

In terms of the scoreline and the plot, the national team's first match after the World Cup turned out to be quite entertaining: a quick goal, an equalizer, an own goal, a penalty, a near-dismissal, and a goal in stoppage time. But if one looks at the football itself rather than the match sheet, it was difficult to see anything fundamentally new in Fergana. The team still played through familiar connections, and the same pattern of play that the team displayed at the World Cup was easily recognizable in its actions.

And this, perhaps, is the main takeaway from the meeting with Iran. Cannavaro received several new options but has not yet shown exactly how he intends to use them. The 3:1 victory was pleasant, but it left almost as many questions about the national team as there were before the match.