Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Manama: From Fozil Musaev to Islom Tukhtakhodjaev who are all now seasoned professionals and high-flying Uzbekistan national senior team players, there is little doubt of the invaluable platform that the AFC U-19 Championship has provided to unearth the stars of tomorrow for the Central Asian nation.
Inspiring his side’s 2-1 comeback victory over Tajikistan in their Group D opener on Saturday, Jasurbek Yakhshiboev (pictured) displayed all the key ingredients of a bright star in the making.
“This competition has been a fantastic opportunity, not just for me but for all the players here” Yakhshiboev revealed to the-AFC.com. “This experience has given me more confidence and composure as a player. Every player wants to do well in this competition and I’m pleased with my performance today. I hope to do better as the competition continues.”
The teenager’s self-assessment aptly describes his performance at the Khalifa Sports City Stadium. Yakhshiboev was instrumental throughout the match, exhibiting growing confidence as the match unfolded.
He was duly rewarded with the decider in the 69th minute inspired by a moment of individual brilliance worthy of gracing any stage. Picking up the ball on the edge of the penalty area, he glanced past three Tajikistan defenders before smashing home an inside curler beyond the helpless Behruz Khayriev.
“I must give credit to my teammates. Our positioning and movement upfront made it difficult for their defenders to mark us. My teammate freed up the space for me to move into the box for the goal. We always had faith the goal would come.”
Uzbekistan have enjoyed a stellar record at the AFC U-19 Championship in recent times, reaching the semi-finals both in 2012 and 2014. In contrast, their Central Asian neighbours were returning from an eight-year hiatus after just two previous appearances. Yakhshiboev was quick to acknowledge the resilient display by his Central Asian counterparts.
“I must give credit to Tajikistan who played very well. When two Central Asian teams meet, it was always going to be difficult. We always play harder when we face each other. In the end, I am pleased that we were able to get the result against a very strong Tajikistan team.”