Ravshan Khaydarov: Quarter-final is not the end of the story

Defending champions Japan will face Uzbekistan in the AFC U23 Championship quarter-finals on Friday, but despite the pressure of being titleholders, head coach Hajime Moriyasu has every confidence in his team.

The White Wolves secured successive wins against host nation China PR and Oman to secure a second place finish in Group A, and Khaydarov admits that while their journey to the last eight has not been easy, his side are looking to make an impression.

Uzbekistan head coach Ravshan Khaydarov acknowledged their recent match against Japan would not have a bearing on Friday's encounter, insisting that he was focussing on improving his team.

“It’s going to be different, as there is a big difference in an international friendly and an official AFC tournament,” said Khaydarov.

“The first change we did was mentally, because only the best teams can qualify for this tournament and I’m sure Japan has changed.

“Moving forward, we have analysed them, and we in turn, have also changed some aspects internally.”

 “Our group stage was really difficult, but now it’s different. The best eight teams are still here to fight, and we will treat each game as the finals.

“We will try to show our best football against Japan, who are one of the best teams in Asia, which we expect to be an interesting but tough game.”

Uzbekistan have never reached this stage of the tournament before, but Khaydarov is adamant that there is little or no pressure on his players, saying: “We are really happy to qualify for the quarter-final for the first time, but for my players, they don’t feel any pressure because they are professionals.

“They also believe in themselves and want to achieve more, so they know the quarter-final is not the end.”

Source: The-AFC.com