Tactically we were better & we have better players than India, asserts Uzbekistan coach Srecko Katanec

Abbosbek Fayzullaev thinks his team is at par with Australia.

Uzbekistan defeated India 3-0 in their second match of AFC Asian Cup 2023 at the Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium in Doha, Qatar. 

The match commenced with an early goal scored by Abbosbek Fayzullaev in the 4th minute, followed by a second goal from Igor Sergeev in the 18th minute. Prior to the half-time whistle, Sherzod Nasrullaev found the net, securing the third and final goal of the match, leading Uzbekistan to a decisive victory in the tournament.

The post match press conference was attended by Uzbekistan’s head coach Srecko Katanec and player Abbosbek Fayzullaev who was also adjudged the player of the match in their fixture against India. 

Performance of the team against India

Uzbekistan dominated the game against India from the very first minute of play. Although India created some chances in the middle but couldn’t capitalize on and lost the match without scoring a single goal. 

“I’m very satisfied with the performance of my players. We played very well. There were good movements in the match and some good shots were also taken by the team during the match. And everything gets easier when you score early in the match”, stated by coach Srecko Katanec.

Strong points due to which Uzbekistan won the game

When asked to acknowledge India’s performance in the match compared to theirs, coach Katanec replied, “India is also placed at a good rank in the FIFA ranking. But tactically we were better and we have better players, which helped us to win.”

How important is the game against Australia?

Uzbekistan can’t remain confident in their prospects for the quarter-final until the conclusion of the next two group matches. Their upcoming game against Australia holds significant importance.

“The game against Australia will be really really interesting. On paper, Australia might be the better team but this is always eleven versus eleven and I don’t think we are an inferior team than the Australians”, Abbosbek Fayzullaev on a statement regarding their next game.

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