Abbosbek Fayzullaev
Doha, Qatar: Abbosbek Fayzullaev did not hesitate to admit that it was his innately resilient nature and inability to accept defeat that drove him in Uzbekistan’s AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 Round of 16 tie against Thailand on Tuesday.
Having nudged ahead in the first half through Azizbek Turgunboev, Uzbekistan lost their lead just before the one-hour mark. Fayzullaev’s stunning goal from 25 yards, however, took them over the finishing line and into a quarter-final showdown with defending champions Qatar on Saturday.
“I always give my best in every game, and I simply hate losing,” said the 20-year-old. “I think we did a very good job in the first half, and were all quite upbeat coming back from the break. So, even when we conceded, we didn’t let it affect us and quickly regrouped to take the lead back.”
“I think (Jaloliddin) Masharipov, (Oston) Urunov and I did a great job in switching positions in the attacking half which created confusion among the Thai players. Once we recover, we will turn our focus to our next match. We know Qatar have a lot of strong, individually talented players, but that doesn’t scare us. Now, I just want to win every match.”
Fayzullaev, the AFC U20 Asian Cup Uzbekistan 2023 MVP, said his performances in Qatar 2023 have motivated him to cement a permanent place in the senior side.
“I think becoming champions of the AFC U20 Asian Cup on home soil has given me a lot of confidence, and has also instilled in me a desire to keep aiming for higher goals,” said the CSKA Moscow winger, whose strike took his tournament tally to two goals.
“I want to congratulate all Uzbek fans for being part of this victory. We could feel the support pouring in from the stands and it is a huge factor behind the team being able to work together, perform and win.”
