“Once we played beautiful football and missed two World Cups” - Otabek Shukurov

Otabek Shukurov, who scored the decisive goal in the Uzbekistan-UAE match, addressed the media during a press conference following the game, which took place in the 4th round of the third stage of World Cup qualifiers.

"In all our games, the absence of our head coach has affected the team. We need to pay attention to our recent performances against Iran. The UAE and Iran are two very different teams. Lately, there has been a lot of criticism from the media, but understand that we play for results, not just for beautiful football. I remember playing attractive football with the national team, but despite that, we missed out on two World Cups. So, I ask you to appreciate our current achievements," Shukurov said.

For context, Uzbekistan's national team is currently in second place in Group A with 10 points after four rounds. Iran, who defeated Qatar 4-1 in the latest round, also has 10 points but leads the group due to a superior goal difference.