Uzbekistan come into the tie having topped Group A despite resting most of their players in their 1-1 draw against Islamic Republic of Iran on Matchday Three. 

Having gone three matches without defeat, head coach Timur Kapadze is confident Uzbekistan can overcome Iraq, with his players well rested.

“Playing in Group A was very challenging for us as all the teams were very formidable,” said Kapadze. “We struggled to find our footing in the first game even though we registered a 1-0 win against Turkmenistan. However, there were marked improvements after that as we went on to score six against Qatar.

“The team is ready to face Iraq. I rotated the players for the game against Iran, who are a technically gifted side. My players are well rested and ready to fight for the three points. I have full trust in them. We came into this competition with the aim of winning every match. Despite the draw against Iran, I feel we’re in good condition physically and mentally.

“Iraq have very good players, who are individually skilful. Any one of them can turn around a match and they have a good mix of players. However, we don’t feel pressured, even in front of our own fans. In fact, we feel confident performing in front of them.”

Iraq advanced into the knockout stage after finishing second in Group B behind Australia -  having drawn twice before winning their final group game against Kuwait 3-1.

Head coach Miroslav Soukup is confident of Iraq’s chances despite facing an Uzbekistan side that will be backed by home support. 

“We’re happy that we have qualified into the quarter-finals. It’s a good feeling to be here after the three games we have played,” said Soukup. “We’re looking forward to facing Uzbekistan, who have the 12th man advantage. They have tremendous fan support and I’m sure the stadium will be packed to the brim.

“All my players want to do their best for their country and they are fired up. We want to reach the semi-finals of the competition after having not seen success for a long time. We want to bring home the title for our fans and country.”

Uzbekistan v Iraq
Venue: Tashkent Stadium (Tashkent)
Kick-off: 21:00 (UTC +5)