Uzbekistan national team coach Fabio Cannavaro has publicly accepted full blame for his side’s heavy 5-0 loss against Portugal. This defeat marks the end of the tournament for the 2026 World Cup debutants following their second match in Group K.
While Cannavaro commended his squad’s determination, he pointed toward his own strategic choices as the reason for the lopsided result. He specifically noted that the decision to disallow a goal from Azizjon Ganiev when the score was 2-0 significantly damaged the team’s momentum and morale.
Speaking to the media, Cannavaro emphasized his history of personal accountability, stating that the errors made on the pitch were his own rather than the fault of his players. He stressed the importance of encouraging his team to take risks despite their lack of experience, telling them that mistakes are part of their growth process in their first-ever World Cup appearance.
