Tashkent: Two-time AFC Player of the Year Server Djeparov believes his nation’s near-miss in qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil will spur Uzbekistan on to book a berth at their first-ever finals in Russia two years from now.
Djeparov and his team mates kick off their campaign to qualify for Russia 2018on Thursday when they take on Syria at Bunyodkor Stadium in Tashkent in a challenging Group A that also features Korea Republic, Iran, China and Qatar.
And after missing out on a place in Brazil by just a solitary goal – Uzbekistan finished third in their group behind Iran three years ago by virtue of goal difference – the 33-year-old believes his team are ready to go one step further.
“I’m positive and this makes me stronger and we will try to go to the next World Cup, we will try to do our best in these games,” says the Lokomotiv Tashkent playmaker.
“We must do our job and we have to do everything we can to go to the World Cup. This would not only be success for me, but for 35 million Uzbek people. Everybody is waiting for that moment and we have a good team, we have younger players and experienced players.
“We had a chance to go to the World Cup in 2014 but we missed only by one goal and this moment I think will give us more power. If you don’t achieve something, it makes you stronger for the next time. I think we can qualify, and I'm sure it is coming.”
Uzbekistan have never appeared at the FIFA World Cup finals since joining the Asian Football Confederation as an affiliate member in 1993, having twice been eliminated in the play-off phase.
In qualifying for Germany 2006, Djeparov and company lost out in controversial circumstances to Bahrain, while last time around they were defeated by Jordan after finishing third in their group behind Korea Republic and Iran.
Djeparov and his team mates went into that play-off after falling short in a three-way battle for supremacy in their group to Korea Republic and Iran, and the former Pakhtakor, FC Seoul and Al Shabab midfielder believes this time around the trio will fight it out again.
“Now we are coming up against five good teams and everybody is stronger,” says Djeparov. “Now you see in China they have spent a lot of money, they make a good league and they bring in a lot of foreign players. Now it’s growing up. Korea is also strong and Iran is strong.
“Qatar are also good, but they have a problem with the weather. All the teams from the Arab countries cannot play well outside, only inside their own countries. But we can’t think about that, we have to prepare well for all the games and for each game we have to be ready 120 percent.
“It’s Korea and Iran who are favourites. In the last qualification we had some memorable matches with Korea and Iran, and Korea with Iran in the last game when Iran won 1-0. But I think this time we will win against both of those teams.”
Source: the-afc.com