Uzbek teen sensation Abbosbek Fayzullaev has boldly declared his nation will finally end their World Cup drought and qualify for the next global showpiece in 2026.
On the back of winning the AFC U20 Asian Cup and impressive performances at the subsequent U20 World Cup in Argentina, and buoyed by his U17 counterparts also qualifying for their underage World Cup, Fayzullaev is adamant the time is now for the Central Asian giants to deliver on their long-held potential.
So often Uzbekistan has promised, and so often it has failed to deliver. They are the great underachievers of Asian football.
In both 2014 and 2018 they were in excellent positions in World Cup qualifying only to fall short on both occasions, while in 2011 they made their maiden Asian Cup semi-final, but went on to be humbled 6-0 by a rampant Australia. They were a better team than the scoreline suggested.
With players like Maksim Shatskikh, Server Djeparov and Odil Ahmedov, to name just a few, the talent to emerge from the former Soviet state is as good as anywhere else in Asia, but for whatever reason the national team has failed to grasp that and take the next step to join Asia’s elite.
But with an expanded World Cup in 2026, allowing for eight nations from Asia to qualify, there is renewed hope that this is the time for Uzbekistan to finally deliver on their potential.
“It’s time for us to reach the World Cup,” Fayzullaev told The Asian Game Podcast.
“The system of the Uzbek football now is developing – the structures, the stadiums, the training sessions, everything’s going well.
“I think we will reach the World Cup in 2026 in America.”
Certainly on the evidence of their underage teams they have every reason to be bullish.
In the past 12 months their U17, U20 and U23 national teams have all made the final four of their respective AFC Asian Cup tournaments, with the latter two making the final and the U20s ultimately being crowned champions of their age group.
That form line suggests there is a bright future for Uzbek football, especially when you consider they also made the final four of the U23 Asian Cup back in 2020 as well. Establishing themselves as a force at underage level, it is hoped, will translate into success at senior national team level down the line.
For that to happen it needs the players from those respective age groups to continue to flourish and prosper, and Fayzullaev is one of the most talented across all of those age groups.
At just 19, his is a name that had been on the radar of those in-and-around Uzbek football for a while given his impressive displays domestically for perennial champions Pakhtakor.
He gave a glimpse of his potential in the AFC Champions League group stages in early 2022, which included a goal against Saudi side Al Taawoun in a 5-4 classic.
But it was at that U20 AFC Asian Cup in March earlier this year, hosted by Uzbekistan, that Fayzullaev really announced himself as a star of the future, earning MVP honours as he led the way in qualifying his nation for the U20 FIFA World Cup.
That experience of playing against the best players of their age group, including in the opening game against Argentina in front of more than 37,000 fans, was an invaluable one according to the man himself.
“As you know, the World Cup is the big tournament,” he said. “Everyone dreams to play in these World Cups and we got the chance to play there (and experience it). Especially the opening game with Argentina, the atmosphere in there was incredible.
“I think we played very good football with our team and showed what we can do. I think everyone was impressed with our game, especially in the first game with Argentina, we played very well. We had our chance to win, but we didn’t score our chance.
“But it was incredible to play in the World Cup. We gained so much experience and I think it will help us in the future.”
Certainly he did his own future no harm throughout the tournament, opening the eyes of scouts around the world to his potential. He admitted it is a goal of his to play in a “top five league” and would consider a move abroad if the right offer was to materialise.
Given his displays for club and country in recent times it is hard to imagine him remaining at Pakhtakor much longer.
While he may only be 19, he already looms as an important prospect for Srecko Katanec as he plots the road ahead to 2026.
From failing to make the final round of qualifying for Qatar 2022, the first time they’d failed to do so since gaining independence in the 1990s, suddenly the outlook for the White Wolves looks so much more promising and Fayzullaev himself is buying into the hype.
“I am very optimistic with what’s coming for Uzbekistan in the future because there is so much talent,” he said.
“I have confidence that Uzbek football is in a good hands, because with these talents, I think we will play the best football that Uzbekistan will ever play.”
Photo: Asian Football Confederation
Listen to the full interview with Uzbek young gun Abbosbek Fayzullaev
