Confident Qatar Eye Strong Finish In 'Challenging Test' Against Uzbekistan

Doha, Qatar: Qatar head coach Julen Lopetegui has called for“maximum effort” from his players as they face Uzbekistan today in their final Group A fixture of the third round of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Asian Qualifiers in Tashkent.

The Asian champions head into the match full of confidence following their 1-0 victory over group leaders Iran on Thursday. However, Uzbekistan – buoyed by their home crowd at Bunyodkor Stadium – will also be riding high after securing a historic first-ever qualification for the World Cup on the same day.

With Iran and Uzbekistan – on 20 and 18 points respectively – sealing the automatic berths from the group and the United Arab Emirates (14 points) and Qatar (13) having secured their spots in the fourth qualifying round, the fate of the group has already been decided.

However, there is still plenty at stake in the clash as Qatar look to enter the next stage with confidence with a morale-boosting third-place finish also in their sights – should they win today and the result in the match between the UAE and Kyrgyzstan go in their favour.

While Uzbekistan have been impressive in the third round, Qatar defeated them 3-2 in the first leg in November and also topped them on penalties in the AFC Asian Cup quarter-final last year.

But Lopetegui – taking charge of only his second match with Qatar – is well aware of Uzbekistan's strength as he urged his players to give their all in the match.

“This match will be an important and challenging test for us ahead of the fourth round of the Asian qualifiers in October. We need to maintain our standard of high-quality football and control the tempo of the game,” he said at a press conference yesterday.

“We are fully aware of the strength of the Uzbek team, which is one of the best in Asia. That's why we must give our maximum effort and perform at our highest level.”

“I have full confidence in our players' ability to rise to the occasion and reflect the hard work we've put in during preparation. Everyone is committed and determined to give their best performance.”

Qatar midfielder Abdulaziz Hatem said the team is ready for the tough test.

“Our preparations for this match have gone well, especially following our important victory over Iran, which secured our qualification for the fourth round of the qualifiers,” he said.

“We must approach the match with full seriousness. Our matches against Uzbekistan are always intense and exciting, and we expect tomorrow's game to be no different. We will strive to perform at our best and give it everything we've got.”

Meanwhile, Uzbekistan are also looking for a victory to end their historic run in the qualifiers on a high note, with a chance to top the group should they win and Iran lose to North Korea.

Uzbekistan players attend a training session.

“We overcame a lot of pressure. Before the game, fans, sports websites, and experts expressed their confidence in our team's victory and expected a good result from us.

This confidence also became a great responsibility and pressure for us. But we managed to overcome this pressure and complete the task,” Uzbekistan head coach Timur Kapadze said after sealing their World Cup spot.

“For the next match, we will prepare adequately, although several players who have not featured much may be given the chance to play.”

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