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"Kasimov keen to keep Uzbeks on the up" [the-afc.com]

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    "Kasimov keen to keep Uzbeks on the up" [the-afc.com]

    Coach Mirdjalal Kasimov is hopeful Wednesday's 2015 AFC Asian Cup qualifier against Hong Kong in Tashkent can kick-start a successful year for Uzbekistan as the Central Asian side also look to secure a maiden appearance at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
    Uzbekistan reached the semi-finals of the AFC Asian Cup for the first time in Qatar two years ago, while Kasimov's side currently sit at the top of Group A during the final qualifiers for Brazil with the campaign set to resume next month.
    Kasimov is set to be without Russia-based midfielder Sanzhar Tursunov for the Group E opener against Hong Kong at Pakhtakor Stadium, with two-time AFC Player of the Year Server Djeparov in contention to fill the void on the right side of midfield.
    "We are starting a new season and I hope we can reach our goals in 2013 with national team. After a long holiday we will play against Hong Kong and our aim to play beautiful football. I am happy with training camp in the UAE, we worked hard and it has been very useful for us" said Kasimov, who is also the coach of AFC Champions League qualifiers Bunyodkor.
    "Hong Kong are not highly placed in the FIFA rankings but we should respect them. They are able to play well in defence and also use fast counter-attacks. In the past we have drawn 2-2 and 0-0 against Hong Kong."
    Hong Kong head into their Group E opener boosted by a strong showing during the qualifiers for the East Asian Football Championship in December, which included a hard-fought 1-0 defeat by Australia.
    "Uzbekistan is a strong football country and we respect our opponent. We have seen several of Uzbekistan's games against Korea Republic and Lebanon and we know some of the players very well," said Hong Kong coach Kim Pan-gon.
    "We were able to discover our weaker aspects during the East Asian Championship qualifies and we will look to show what we have been working on.
    "It will be tough to qualify for the Asian Cup, but we have made progress in the last few years and we can at least think about the Asian Cup."
    Also in Group E, the United Arab Emirates will look to build on last month's Gulf Cup success as Mahdi Ali's side begin their campaign against Vietnam in Hanoi.
    Ali has kept faith with the same squad from the Gulf Cup and following the 2-1 extra-time win over Iraq, the UAE headed to China for a week-long training camp ahead of the trip to Vietnam.
    "The game against Vietnam is very important for both teams because it is the first game of the qualifying round. It will be a tough game because we are playing away from home, but we still want to win it and get a good start in the group," said Ali.
    "There are a lot of similarities between both teams as we both have many young players under 23 and I think we will have a good game."
    Vietnam, meanwhile, are looking to rebuild after failing to advance past the Group Stage at the AFF Suzuki Cup at the end of last year.
    Hoang Van Phuc will lead the team on Wednesday after being appointed on an interim basis for the opening AFC Asian Cup qualifiers against the UAE and Hong Kong after Phan Thanh Hung resigned after the AFF Suzuki Cup campaign.
    "We have been preparing for the game for just two weeks, but I am confident especially about the mentality of the players," said Hoang.
    "We have many new young players but all of them have trained well and I hope that our players will be able to understand and implement the tactics.
    "I have some information about the UAE team and I know they are Gulf Cup champions, but we still want to win."
    P.S. Australia 2015 qualifiers MD1: Group E Preview
    Mccormack, N. (2012) Australia 2015 qualifiers MD1: Group E Preview. [online] Available at: http://www.the-afc.com/en/tournament...roup-e-preview [Accessed: 5 Feb 2013].

    #2
    I predict 3-0 for Uzbekistan.

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