Azizbek Haydarov’s face sported a huge grin as he revealed how determined he is to use this month’s Asian Cup to banish recent football disappointments for his country, Uzbekistan.
“Not angry, maybe hungry,” he said. “For South Korea. Our team waits for the Koreans. We want to play against them.”
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The desire stretches back to 2013; the hurt, too. Uzbekistan were denied an automatic spot at the 2014 Fifa World Cup by their Korean counterparts, who booked a place in Brazil by virtue of a superior goal difference.
The Uzbeks have never been to the finals and lost the ensuing Asian conference play-off to Jordan on penalties. The disappointment has been difficult to shake.
“The last World Cup qualification, for us it was too hard,” Haydarov said. “Our team got 14 points and didn’t go. Only one goal the difference with Korea; it wasn’t good enough. This was a big disappointment, the same as dying.”
New life has been breathed into the side in the intervening period. Uzbekistan were always going to qualify for the Asian Cup and only a couple of tight matches against the UAE relegated them to second in their group.
Ranked 74th in the Fifa standings – the fourth-best in Asia – they arrive at the tournament in fine form after one defeat in their past 10 fixtures.
Coach Mirdjalal Kasimov, in his second stint in charge, no longer is attempting to coach a club while he leads his country.
Many of his players have deep experience. Timur Kapadze and Server Djeparov each have three Asian Cup tournaments on their CV, with Djeparov, the captain, having twice been crowned the best player in Asia.
Haydarov will participate in his third Asian Cup, as indispensable to a disciplined Uzbekistan as he has been with Al Shabab, his Dubai-based club.
“For me, the national team is very different,” he said. “Shabab, this is my home, my family, I have everything here. The national team, this is my heart; I was born there, my blood’s there. This is different.
“But every time I’m on the pitch representing either I come to win, to give maximum to get the result, to show guts.”
He will also seek to act as mentor to the next crop of Uzbekistan internationals.
The squad boasts promising talent, spearheaded by Jasur Khasanov, the winger, and Sardor Rashidov, the striker.
That blend has the Uzbeks, semi-finalists in 2011, marked as a team likely to excel in Australia, although the lack of an elite scorer could hurt.
The World Cup in 2018, in neighbouring Russia, is another distraction for Uzbek minds.
“It’s more important now to help the young players, who are very good,” Haydarov, 29, said.
“For the experienced players to give something, to talk, give confidence. This Asian Cup is preparation for 2018, although I probably will not go. I’ll be old by then. Too many of the players will be old.”
It was 1991 when Uzbekistan declared independence after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, yet expectation has risen faster than the republic. Uzbeks have a belief that they belong on the global stage.
“Uzbekistan is only 24 years, it needs time also,” Haydarov said. “Every time, people want good results, go to the World Cup, go this tournament, that tournament. No, we need time for this. How many teams have worked so many years to go to World Cup? My country’s only a young country. Inshallah, we try.”
They will attempt this month to do their people proud. Drawn in Group B alongside North Korea, China and Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan have set progression to the knockout stages as their primary objective.
Haydarov has labelled Saturday’s opener against North Korea a must-win, but he stops short at predicting another semi-final run.
Reason can be found in potential quarter-final opponents. Should Uzbekistan advance, then that clash with South Korea, that chance to avenge their World Cup heartache, might just present itself. But that is not their only unfinished business.
“At the last Asian Cup, Australia beat us 6-0,” Haydarov said as he recalled the 2011 semi-final. “All the people here want them. We’ve maybe six players who have stayed from four years ago. They say ‘next time against Australia, give maximum’. This is our target.
“The Uzbekistan national team only fights. Without fight, we don’t win.”
jmcauley@thenational.ae
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