Having beaten the likes of Thailand and Cameroon since March, it\u2019s been a devastating turnaround for the national team, in comparison to the preceding year that many in the nation\u2019s football scene were keen to forget had ever happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Under new coach Srecko Katanec there\u2019s a positive feel around Uzbek football, but there\u2019s much more than a change in coach that has lifted the mood across the country, as the coach explained when he caught up with The Asian Game<\/strong><\/em> recently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Katanec\u2019s appointment followed a significant defining point for the national team. Uzbekistan had failed to make it to the final round of Asian World Cup qualification for the first time in their history. A crushing defeat away in Riyadh to one of the continent\u2019s eventual qualifiers Saudi Arabia was a distinct wake up call as to the growing chasm between Uzbekistan and the elite in Asia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With World Cup expansion on the horizon, and Asia\u2019s allocation set to double from four to eight guaranteed spots for 2026, the assumption in Asian football circles was that Uzbekistan would be a prime candidate for one of these newly acquired opportunities, given the decades of near misses in their recent past. Uzbekistan\u2019s stumble ahead of the final round of qualification, however, cast doubt on their hopes moving forward; was this another sign of their mental fragility on the international stage?<\/p>\n\n\n\n While the 3-0 defeat in Saudi Arabia put the final nail in their qualification hopes, the writing was on the wall back in 2019 ahead of the campaign\u2019s enforced hiatus caused by the global pandemic. Uzbekistan, leading 2-1 after 85 minutes in Tashkent to their group rivals from the Gulf, let slip not only the win, but also a credible draw, with Herve Renard\u2019s Saudi Arabia somehow escaping with a 3-2 victory in the dying moments of the match.<\/p>\n\n\n\nStyle and substance, Katanec appeals to Uzbekistan<\/h4>\n\n\n\n