UAE extend unbeaten run to 20 games after draw with Uzbekistan

UZBEKISTAN 1

UAE 1

Uzbekistan: Sergeev 84’ UAE: Al Hammadi 67’

Red card: Tukhtakhujaev (Uzbekistan)

Man of the match: Khamis Ismail (UAE)

Uzbekistan ended the UAE's perfect winning record in 2015 Asian Cup qualifying but the 1-1 draw was enough for Mahdi Ali's men to stretch their unbeaten run to 20 games.

The second-half substitute Ismail Al Hammadi put the visitors ahead before Igor Sergeev struck a late equaliser in the dead-rubber Group E match at the Bunyodkor Stadium in Tashkent on Wednesday.

Al Hammadi, who replaced the debutant Ahmed Khamis, picked up a deflected pass from Ali Mabkhout, rounding off the Uzbekistan defender Vitaliy Denisov before firing it past the goalkeeper.

“I congratulate both teams for qualifying for the Asian Cup,” Mahdi Ali said. “The game was very difficult and tough for us. We played better in the second half after Uzbekistan controlled the game in the first half.

“We played without several main players so I am pleased with how we played. I think a draw is a good result.

“I liked how my team played and tried to beat our opponents and we fought hard on the pitch. We know our mistakes and will work to solve them in the future.”

Al Hammadi could have extended the lead had his effort from inside the area not hit the post. Eldorbek Suyunov, the Uzbekistan keeper, then did well to recover and block Ali Mabkhout’s shot from the rebound.

Sergeev found Sardov Rashidov down the left flank and received his cross by lunging in front of Hamdan Al Kamali to connect with a header from inside the six-yard box for the equaliser five minutes from time.

The home side ended the game with 10 players after Islom Tukhtakhujaev was sent off for a foul, his second bookable offence, on substitute Salem Saleh in the dying minutes of the game.

Both teams had already booked their passage to Australia 2015 before the game and the result left the UAE on 16 points, as well as undefeated in Tashkent in four games since 1997.

The UAE had to weather a storm in the first half as the home side attacked from the outset. However, all their efforts and forays inside the visitor’s goalmouth either broke down or were off target.

Sanjar Tursonov’s volley was off target and Sergeev’s effort from the edge of the box fell wide of the far post.

Server Djeparov’s header off a cross from Adil Ahmedov flew over the crossbar and Ali Kasheif, the Emirati keeper, held on to a dipping long-range shot from Ahmedov.

“We had a lot of chances to score, but couldn’t use them,” said Mirdjalal Kasimov, the Uzbek coach. “We have spoken about this problem many times.

“The UAE began to play well in the second half and they scored. But our players continued to create chances and Sergeev equalised, although we were unable to score a winning goal.”

apassela@thenational.ae