Uzbekistan and Syria shared the spoils after a thrilling 90 minutes in front of a raucous crowd at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium. A spirited performance from goalkeeper Ahmad Madanieh ensured that Syria, 91st in FIFA rankings, held the 68th-ranked Uzbekistan 0-0 in this Group B fixture of the AFC Asian Cup.
Australia are leading this group following their 2-0 victory over India.
Anyone watching from the stands could hardly spot a difference between the ambience in the stands of a famous European club on a match day and Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium. Throughout the game, fans of both sides were vocal and energetic with their chants, drumbeats and songs. It was as if like their teams, the fans were also competing with each other.
Syrian fans, who formed the most of the crowd, were cheering “Surya, Surya” (Syrian pronunciation) every time their team went on the attack.
The first half saw Uzbekistan dominate possession but they failed to keep a single shot on target, showing how determined Syria’s defence was. They were trying to exploit quick counter-attacks and attempting long-range shots from outside the opponents’ box.
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Fans turned out in numbers to back the Indian team in the crucial games of football (AFC Asian Cup in Doha) and hockey (Olympic Qualifiers in Ranchi).
Watch this special video to know why fans support means a lot to the players.@ThumsUpOfficial @afcasiancup @TheHockeyIndia… pic.twitter.com/1zVg42FPaI— RevSportz (@RevSportz) January 14, 2024
Uzbekistan coach Skrecko Katanec brought in the young sensation and attacking midfielder Abbosbek Fayzullaev. He could have broken the deadlock, but his shot in the 52nd minute went wide.
In the 50th minute, Masharipov chested down a nice ball for Otabek Sukhurov, who launched a powerful volley only to miss the target by a whisker.
Jaloliddin Masharipov, another stalwart of Uzbekistan, was closely marked throughout the game. The midfielder also failed to create any threatening chances, even from set-pieces.
The absence of Eldor Shomurodov was felt badly by Uzbekistan. The star forward will be unavailable for the Asian Cup. He suffered an injury recently while playing for Cagliari in Serie A.
In the 85th minute, Abbosbek Fayzullaev cracked a deep volley, which was the first attempt on target in the match, but Syria’s goalkeeper Ahmad Madanieh pulled off a great save.
Uzbekistan kept launching attacks on Syria’s box in the last quarter, but goalkeeper Madanieh stood tall and kept the scoreline intact. He was also adjudged Player of the Match for his incredible performance.
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