Major victory: Uzbekistan secures 1-0 win over Kyrgyzstan

On March 20, Uzbekistan’s national football team faced Kyrgyzstan at home in the 3rd stage of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and secured a 1-0 victory.

In the 24th minute, a Kyrgyz defender fouled Hojiakbar Alijonov inside the penalty area, prompting the referee to award a penalty and issue a red card to the defender. However, in the 25th minute, Uzbekistan's captain, Eldor Shomurodov, was unable to convert the penalty into a goal. Despite this, Uzbekistan pressed forward relentlessly, and in the 40th minute, Hojiakbar Alijonov’s goal put the team in the lead. Early in the second half, Eldor Shomurodov found the net, but the referee disallowed the goal due to an offside ruling.

With this victory, Uzbekistan’s national team solidified its 2nd place in the group stage, amassing 16 points. The next match will take place on March 25 in Tehran, where Uzbekistan will face group leader Iran during the 8th round of the qualifiers.