Uzbekistan national football team begins preparations for the World Cup

The Uzbekistan national football team, under head coach Fabio Cannavaro, will hold a three-week training camp in Tashkent.

It is noted that an extended squad of 40 players will gather at the National Football Center. The camp will run until May 26. As part of the preparations, the team will play a series of closed-door friendly matches against Uzbekistan Super League clubs.

The list of called-up players includes team captain Eldor Shomurodov, Abbos Fayzullayev, Otabek Shukurov, and defender Abduqodir Khusanov. They will all join the national team after completing their club commitments.

Fabio Cannavaro also included several young players who have not previously played for the national team, including Nodir Abdurazzoqov and Sherzod Isanov, who are competing for a place in the final 26 players. The final squad will be announced on June 2. Special mention is also made of players recovering from injuries, including Khusain Norchayev and Jaloliddin Masharipov.

Uzbekistan is preparing for its first-ever World Cup appearance. The team will begin the tournament in the group stage with a match against Colombia in Mexico on June 17, then face Portugal in Houston, and conclude the group stage with a match against the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Atlanta on June 27.

UzA