FIFA 2026 WC qualifier: Uzbekistan seal maiden berth with goalless draw against UAE

NEW DELHI: Uzbekistan coach Timur Kapadze lauded the efforts of his players after the Central Asian country qualified for the World Cup for the first time.

The White Wolves claimed their spot at the expanded 48-team 2026 finals on Thursday with a 0-0 draw in the United Arab Emirates, which guaranteed Kapadze’s side a top-two finish in Group A, alongside already-qualified Iran.

Uzbekistan has tried and failed to qualify seven times since its independence after the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991, suffering heartbreak in the final stage of continental qualifiers for Germany 2006 and Brazil 2014.

A genuine force in Asia since its 1994 Asian Games triumph, the Uzbekistan FA has invested heavily in youth development in the attempt to take the final step onto the world stage.

Kapadze has reaped the dividends with a young generation of players, including Manchester City’s 21-year-old centre back Abdukodir Khusanov at his disposal. Agencies

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