The U23 Chinese national team faces a tough opponent: aiming to advance as underdogs and secure the top spot, Uzbekistan must not be underestimated.

Written by Han Bing Uzbekistan (Uzb) has flourished across all age categories recently. The senior team secured their inaugural World Cup berth last year, achieving a "grand slam" with the U17, U20, U23, and senior teams all qualifying for major world competitions. On the Asian stage, the U23 team has been the most consistent among the four age groups—reaching the semifinals in the last four U23 Asian Cups, making the final three times, and winning the championship in 2018.

The Uzbek head coach is veteran Haidalov, who managed the national team from 2002 to 2004 and has previously coached the U19 and U23 squads multiple times, winning the 2018 U23 Asian Cup and the 2023 U20 Asian Cup. For this U23 Asian Cup, Uzbekistan reached the quarterfinals but, due to clubs not releasing players and preparations for the 2028 Olympics, key eligible players such as Khusanov (Manchester City) and Fazulayev (Istanbul Başakşehir) did not participate. Haidalov is effectively leading a U21 squad.

With an average age only higher than Japan’s team, Uzbekistan has the second-youngest squad in the tournament but still shows strong ability. Nine players took part in last year’s U20 Asian Cup held in Shenzhen, where they defeated Yemen and Indonesia in the group stage, lost to Iran, advanced as group runners-up, and drew 3-3 with South Korea in the quarterfinals before being eliminated 1-3 on penalties.

All members of this Uzbek U23 team compete domestically, with eight players from the Olympic Club established by the Football Association specifically for the U23 national team. Founded in 2023, this club competes as a full team in the Uzbek league, giving its players ample experience. Additionally, defender Turkinbekov, Abdullayev, midfielder Remov, and forward Sedov all participated in the 2023 U17 World Cup.

Despite having a squad about two years younger on average, Uzbekistan managed to top their group by defeating Lebanon and South Korea and drawing with Iran, proving their strength. Their group opponents included Lebanon’s U23 team of the same age group, Iran’s mixed U21-U23 team with eight 22-year-olds, and South Korea’s mixed team with ten 22-year-olds as core players. The average age of these opponents was at least one year older than Uzbekistan’s.

Uzbekistan primarily deploys a 4-2-3-1 formation with a relatively stable starting lineup. Eight players started all three group matches, notably the four defenders, two defensive midfielders, and winger Yumayev. Apart from center-back Abdullayev and defensive midfielder Bakhlomov, the other five are regular starters for their clubs in the Uzbek league. Although forwards Sednurullayev and Sedov were not first-choice at their clubs before the tournament, their abilities remain impressive. Sedov scored the opener against Lebanon, and Sednurullayev assisted; the two combined to score the second goal against South Korea, pushing the opponent to second place in the group.

It is worth noting that last year, the U23 Chinese team played two friendlies against Uzbekistan, both ending 0-0. The March match in Yancheng featured a very different Uzbek lineup, but the November Panda Cup squad had starters including forward Haidalov, winger Yumayev, defensive midfielder Khairullaev, and fullbacks Hamidov and Karimov, all of whom are participating in this Asian Cup. Moreover, Yumayev, Khairullaev, Hamidov, and Karimov are key starters.

The Uzbek U23 team continues the Central Asian football traits of excellent physicality and strong dueling ability, combined with solid technical skills. They emphasize wing breakthroughs and coordinated attacks and shots through midfield and forward combinations. Their defense is solid, with the double defensive midfielders covering a wide area—something the U23 Chinese team should pay close attention to. However, the suspension of their main winger Ibragimov may affect Uzbekistan’s wing attacks in this match.