Tashkent: Dilshod Rakhmatov bagged a brace as hosts Uzbekistan guaranteed their qualification for the quarter-finals of the AFC Futsal Championship as Group A table-toppers after a 2-1 victory over Central Asian neighbours Kyrgyzstan at Uzbekistan Stadium on Friday.
After a cagey opening period it was Uzbekistan who finally broke the deadlock a second before the interval through Rakhmatov before he then notched his double shortly after the interval.
Kyrgyzstan pulled one back late on through Alimov Maksadbek but Uzbekistan held out to win the group with a game to spare after Lebanon and Saudi Arabia played out a 3-3 draw in Friday’s other Group A encounter.
In front of a packed arena it was Kyrgyzstan who almost opened the scoring in the first minute when Uzbekistan goalkeeper Rustam Umarov saved well from Emil Kanetov after good build-up play from Nurzhan Dzhetybaev and Ruslan Ermekov.
Midway through the first half Kyrgyzstan keeper Kirill Ermolov pulled off a superb double save to twice deny Andrey Shlema when he looked certain to score.
Then in the 13th minute Ermolov was called into action again to save Rakhmatov’s low angled shot with his outstretched left leg as Uzbekistan began to take control of the game.
And on the stroke of half-time the home side did take the lead when Rakhmatov drilled a low cross-goal shot from the right into the bottom right corner to set off wild celebrations in the stands.
Jose Maria Pazos’s side came out strongly after the restart and doubled their advantage in the 23rd minute after Dilshod Irsaliev played a clever short free-kick to Rakhmatov, who side-footed under Ermolov for his second.
Uzbekistan then took their foot off the pedal as Kyrgyzstan took control of possession but failed to create any clear sights on goal.
And with Kyrgyzstan opting to use the power play in the closing stages, custodian Umarov twice had the opposition defence scurrying back with his long clearances up field.
The Kyrgyz did provide a late scare, though, when Dzhetybaev played the ball into the feet of Madsadbek, who flicked into the back of the net from close in but the Uzbeks were not to be denied.
Photo: AFC
Source: the-afc.com