Is Uzbekistan ready for the match with Iran?

Interest in the match with arch-rival Iran is higher than ever. This can be seen from the number of media attending the national team's training. On the first day of "White Wolves" training, several legionnaire players were absent, but by the second day, all the foreign-based players had joined the team. For instance, Abbosbek Fayzullaev, who is making waves in the Russian league, Abdukadir Husanov, excelling in France, and Aziz Turgunboev and Husniddin Alikulov, active in Turkey, have also arrived at the training.

As known, the head coach, Slovenian expert Srechko Katanets, is unable to personally prepare the team for the match due to health issues. There is concern over whether the players can effectively prepare for a strong opponent like Iran without Katanets. However, the national team's captain, Eldor Shomurodov, a player for Italian club Roma, addressed this issue.

"Of course, it's unfortunate that Katanets is not with us, but the assistant coaches are passing along Katanets' instructions. We've been playing under Katanets for a long time, so we know what he demands from us," says Shomurodov.

Historically, Uzbekistan has not fared well against Iran. Out of 12 encounters, Iran has won 9, Uzbekistan only 1, and 2 matches ended in draws. Additionally, Uzbekistan has never defeated Iran at home, with the sole victory taking place in 2014 at the "Ozodi" stadium.

This match is crucial for Uzbekistan. Both teams currently top Group A, and the winner of the October 10 match will take the lead. A victory over Iran will bring Uzbekistan much closer to qualifying for the World Cup in America. Given the excitement, tickets for the match are already sold out. Whether the "White Wolves" can finally break their home losing streak against Iran will be revealed on October 10 at 20:00 at the "Bunyodkor" stadium.