AFC/TNN
Tashkent
Qatar will look to continue their winning run against Uzbekistan at the Bunyodkor Stadium in Tashkent for their concluding AFC Asian Qualifiers - Road to 26 Group A tie on Tuesday.
Al Annabi sealed their place in the playoffs - where an additional two spots to the FIFA World Cup 2026 will be at stake - with a 1-0 win over Iran on Thursday.
It was Spaniard Julen Lopetegui’s first match in charge as head coach and the tactician will expect his side to take full points as they set their eyes on the playoffs.
“We have another match ahead of us, and we must also focus because it will be an important building block for what’s to come,” said Lopetegui after The morale boosting win against Iran.
Ahead of the clash against Uzbekistan, Lopetegui reiterated, “This match will be an important and challenging test for us ahead of the fourth round of the Asian qualifiers in October. We need to maintain our standard of high-quality football and control the tempo of the game.”
“We are fully aware of the strength of the Uzbek team, which is one of the best in Asia. That’s why we must give our maximum effort and perform at our highest level.”
“I have full confidence in our players’ ability to rise to the occasion and reflect the hard work we’ve put in during preparation. Everyone is committed and determined to give their best performance.”
Qatar player Abdulaziz Hatem said, “Our preparations for this match have gone well, especially following our important victory over Iran in the previous round, which secured our qualification for the fourth round of the qualifiers.”
“Tomorrow’s match against Uzbekistan will be an important test as we prepare for the next stage of the qualifiers, so we must approach it with full seriousness.”
“Our matches against Uzbekistan are always intense and exciting, and we expect tomorrow’s game to be no different. We will strive to perform at our best and give it everything we’ve got.”
Meanwhile fans will expect a party-like atmosphere when Uzbekistan welcome Qatar.
The Central Asian side sealed qualification to an inaugural FIFA World Cup Finals on Thursday and will want to end their campaign with victory in front of their fans.
Thursday’s qualification was greeted with joy as Uzbekistan ended their long wait to appear on the global stage, with head coach Timur Kapadze applauding his players for getting across the finish line despite the immense pressure.
“We overcame a lot of pressure. Before the game, fans, sports websites and experts expressed their confidence in our team’s victory and expected a good result from us. This confidence also became a great responsibility and pressure for us. But we managed to overcome this pressure and complete the task.
“For the next match, we will prepare adequately although several players who have not featured much may be given the chance to play,” said the tactician, with there still being a possibility of Uzbekistan topping the group with a win should Islamic Republic of Iran lose to DPR Korea.
Qatar have 13 points with four wins. Iran top the group with 20 points, followed by Uzbekistan (18), the UAE (14), Qatar (13), Kyrgyzstan (7), and North Korea (3). Iran and Uzbekistan have both secured automatic qualification to the World Cup.
Eighteen teams have qualified for the current stage that was divided into three groups, each containing six teams competing in a split league system of two home and away stages.
The first and second-placed teams from each group qualify directly for the World Cup.
The third and fourth-placed teams in each group advance to the fourth round, which will see the teams divided into two groups of three.
The top team in each group will qualify for the World Cup, while the second-placed teams will play a continental play-off to qualify for the World Cup.
