Cannavaro says Uzbekistan must embrace World Cup debut against Colombia
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football – FIFA World Cup 2026 – FIFA World Cup 2026 Draw – John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, D.C., U.S. – December 5, 2025 Uzbekistan coach Fabio Cannavaro arrives on the red carpet ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Draw REUTERS/Brian Snyder/File Photo
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MEXICO CITY, June 16 : Coach Fabio Cannavaro said Uzbekistan have nothing to lose when they make their World Cup debut against Colombia on Wednesday and urged his players to enjoy the biggest moment in the country’s football history.
Cannavaro said he had drawn on his own memories from captaining Italy to the World Cup title in 2006 to help his players manage the emotion and pressure of their first appearance on the game’s biggest stage.
“I try to help remove the pressure,” Cannavaro told reporters on Tuesday. “The stage is tough. I try to explain to them to enjoy it because it’s the first time, we don’t have anything to lose.
“But it doesn’t mean that we will just be enjoying the moment. We know that we need to fight.”
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The 2006 Ballon d’Or winner said he had spoken to the squad about the experience of arriving at a World Cup and the importance of appreciating a moment many of them will remember for the rest of their careers.
“I tried to share with them my experience,” Cannavaro said. “I tried to share with them my first day in the World Cup, because this is something that you will remember.
“So I told them to really enjoy it, to appreciate everything since we arrived here in Mexico.”
Cannavaro said Uzbekistan, who also face Portugal and the Democratic Republic of Congo in Group K, wanted to show their identity as well as to compete.
“It is to show the people our culture, our philosophy,” he said. “It’s true that we are here for the first time, and of course we want to show the people our mentality.”
A key figure will be centre back Abdukodir Khusanov, who is expected to play a central role in Cannavaro’s defensive plan.
“He knows how to control the situation, he knows how to control the pressure,” Cannavaro said. “The guys are like a family behind him, he can play every position.”
Khusanov’s rise at Manchester City reflects the growing presence of Uzbek football at the top level of the European game.
“In the future, we will see more Uzbek players in Europe, I’m sure of that,” Cannavaro said, adding that one of the reasons he accepted the coaching job was the progress made by the country’s federation, pointing to investment in academies and facilities.
Uzbekistan’s first World Cup match will be played at the storied Azteca Stadium, and Cannavaro was looking forward to experiencing the atmosphere.
“You get goosebumps when you enter this stadium. Maradona and Pele made history here, it’s quite a dream for us,” he added.
Source: Reuters
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