Kuwait promise backlash against Uzbekistan

Kuwait defender Yaqoub Al Taher says his side have digested the disappointment of their defeat by China and will be fired up to re-launch their Asian Cup campaign when they meet Uzbekistan on Wednesday.

Kuwait, who won both the East Asian Championship and the Gulf Cup last year, fell 2-0 to the Chinese in their Group A opener and know that only by beating Uzbekistan can they keep their quarter-final hopes alive.

“Our match against China was very difficult and after losing the opening match, the players were upset,” said Al Taher.

“But the management team have encouraged the players and we have put the defeat behind us, so we have been able to concentrate on this crucial match for the Kuwaiti team.”

The turning point in the loss last Saturday was the 36^th-minute dismissal of defender Mesad Nada for a sly kick at Chinese forward Yang Xu.

Nada was initially banned for one match but his suspension has been extended to two matches by the competition’s disciplinary committee, much to the bemusement of Kuwait’s coach Goran Tufegdzic.

“I saw the letter saying Nada had received a one-match punishment and today I hear he has been given a two-match ban by the disciplinary committee,” said the Serbian.

“But I don’t know why. If you watch the slow-motion, he was kicked first. (His reaction) wasn’t correct but it wasn’t a big enough mistake to merit a two-match ban.”

Tufegdzic joked that he would cater for the height and strength of the Uzbek side by “keeping the ball on the ground”, but insisted that he had not seen anything in the game against China to unduly concern him.

“The match against China was a blow to our morale, especially because we have so many fans here from Kuwait,” he said.

“But our players played well. They didn’t play badly. The players are motivated and strong and I hope we’ll continue to be supported by the fans, which gives us energy and belief.”

Uzbekistan hold the upper hand, after their 2-0 defeat of hosts Qatar, but coach Vadim Abramov is wary of a Kuwaiti backlash.

“It will be a very tough game and the difficulty is that it’s Kuwait’s last chance to make sure they can still qualify for the next round,” he said.

“Kuwait are the champions of this area. There’s nothing more you can say.

“They’re a strong team and they always have good players who are comfortable on the ball, like Brazilian players. But my players are capable of matching them.”

Abramov reported a clean bill of health for the game and reiterated his belief that Uzbekistan could go far in the tournament, having reached the quarter-finals in 2007 and 2004.

“Every team here wants to win the tournament,” he said. “Uzbekistan are the same. Why do I say that? Because my team are capable of winning.”

Despite aiming high, however, the Uzbek coach warned his men against getting carried away after their opening success against the hosts.

“In my opinion, all the teams in Qatar are strong teams,” he said.

“Winning the first game is very important, but three points is not enough to go through. You have to take points in every game.

“All I’m thinking about is Kuwait, not Australia or Japan. The players too. This is a good chance to reach the next round.”