Mirziyoyev attends football match with family and visiting leaders

On June 10, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev attended the World Cup qualifier between the Uzbekistan and Qatar national football teams at the Bunyodkor Stadium in Tashkent.

The President was accompanied by his family, including his eldest daughter and presidential assistant Saida Mirziyoyeva, his son Miralisher Mirziyoyev, and his grandchildren Miromon, Saodatkhan, and Shavkat. Also in attendance were visiting dignitaries such as Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, and several Central Asian heads of government participating in the Tashkent International Investment Forum.

The match began with strong momentum from the Uzbek side. In the 28th minute, Azizbek Turgunbayev opened the scoring with a spectacular goal. The home team, known as the “White Wolves,” maintained dominance throughout the first half. Qatar's Abdulaziz Hatim received a yellow card in the 33rd minute for a rough tackle, followed by another yellow card in the 40th minute to Bassam Al-Rawi for a foul on Abbosbek Fayzullaev.

Despite several more promising opportunities, the score remained 1:0 at halftime. Uzbekistan continued to press in the second half, but in the 62nd minute, Turgunbayev suffered an injury and was replaced by Jamshid Iskanderov. In the 67th minute, the Qatari captain Akram Afif was shown a yellow card for dissent and was subsequently substituted. In the 84th minute, Odiljon Khamrobekov and Jaloliddin Masharipov were replaced by Khojimat Erkinov and Abdurauf Buriev. Just two minutes later, Eldor Shomurodov doubled the lead with a goal in the 86th minute, prompting visible celebrations from President Mirziyoyev in the stands. In stoppage time, Igor Sergeev, who came on for Shomurodov, sealed the victory with a third goal, making the final score 3:0.

Following the match, a special awards ceremony was held in recognition of the national team’s historic qualification for the FIFA World Cup. In accordance with a presidential decree dated June 6, a number of players and coaches were honored for their achievements and for fostering a spirit of patriotism and sporting excellence among Uzbek youth. President Mirziyoyev personally presented the athletes with state awards, including honorary titles, orders, and medals. Members of the team and coaching staff were also gifted BYD automobiles in recognition of their accomplishments.