As Uzbekistan competes at their first-ever FIFA World Cup tournament, the country’s blind football community shares the excitement. For blind football national team head coach Abror Abdullayev, the qualification represents a landmark moment not only for football, but for sport across the nation.
“This is undoubtedly one of the most important events in the history of sports in Uzbekistan,” Abdullayev said.
“The qualification of our national team to the FIFA World Cup is the result of years of hard work, reforms and attention to the development of football. This is a great celebration, not only for the players and coaches, but for our entire people.”
The maiden appearance marks a milestone for a country where the sport continues to grow in popularity and influence. According to Abdullayev, that momentum is also felt in blind football.
“We, representatives of blind football, also accept this success as our own and are immensely proud of it,” he said.
Celebrating a milestone
As the national team compete on the biggest stage, with Group K matches against Colombia, Portugal and the Democratic Republic of Congo in Mexico and the United States, the blind football community has been firmly behind them.
“Defending the honour of the country in such a major tournament as the World Cup is a great responsibility,” Abdullayev said. “I am sure that our players show all their strength and skill on the field.”
“I would like them to act confidently, feeling that millions of fans and the whole of Uzbekistan are behind them. We trust and support them.”
Uzbekistan will play their final group stage match on 28 June against the Democratic Republic of Congo, after losing to both Colombia and Portugal.
Riding the momentum
The national blind football team and coaching staff are closely following Manchester City’s Abdukodir Khusanov and his teammates.
“We rejoice in their every success. Their achievements also give us additional motivation,” Abdullayev said. “The success of the national team means that the prestige of Uzbek sport in the international arena is growing. This will have a positive impact on the development of all sports, including football for the blind.”
That development has already been visible in recent years. Uzbekistan’s blind football team has gained plenty of valuable international experience, including at the IBSA Blind Football Asian Championships where Abdullayev was impressed by his athletes’ commitment.
“Our greatest pride is the dedication, discipline and fight from our athletes on the field until the end,” he said.
Competing against some of Asia’s strongest teams provided an opportunity to test themselves at a high level while building confidence for future challenges.
“One of the most important achievements for us was that our players’ self-confidence and team spirit were further strengthened during the competition,” Abdullayev said.
Developing the sport
The coach believes blind football in Uzbekistan is moving in the right direction. Increased attention, improved support structures and more international opportunities have helped the sport continue to grow.
“In recent years, attention to blind football has increased significantly,” he said.
Looking ahead, Abdullayev hopes to see further investment in grassroots development, particularly among children and young people, as well as continued improvements to facilities and infrastructure.
The long-term ambition is clear: to follow in the FIFA World Cup team’s footsteps, establishing Uzbekistan as one of Asia’s leading blind football nations.
“My main goal as a coach is to further increase the competitiveness of our team on the international stage and prepare a new generation of players,” Abdullayev said.
“In the coming years, we aim to take a strong place among the strong teams in Asia and achieve worthy results in major international competitions.”