Cannavaro takes responsibility for Uzbekistan's crushing defeat

In a Group K second-round match of the 2026 World Cup, Uzbekistan, making their first appearance in the World Cup finals, suffered a 0-5 defeat to Portugal in Houston.

After suffering a 1-3 defeat to Colombia in their opening match, Uzbekistan, now on the verge of elimination with two consecutive losses, faces their final group stage opponent, the Democratic Republic of Congo, on Saturday. Only a victory will keep their hopes of advancing to the round of 32 alive.

After the match, Fabio Cannavaro, the coach who captained Italy to victory in the 2006 World Cup, attended the press conference. Faced with the crushing defeat, Cannavaro took full responsibility, making every effort to protect his players.

In an interview, Cannavaro said, "They gave it their all and did their best, and I'm very proud of them. We must maintain our belief until we're completely out of the running mathematically. I've always carried responsibility throughout my life, both as a player and as a coach."

"If we lose 0-5, it's because I made mistakes today, not them. This is our first World Cup. I told the players that they can make mistakes and pass the ball wrong. Because I have to give them confidence, let them try and improve."

Speaking about the course of the match, Cannavaro admitted that Ganeev's brilliant goal, which was disallowed when they were down 0-2, greatly dampened the team's morale, but he still emphasized the gains: "That disallowed goal did affect our confidence."

"It's a pity because we started very boldly. I asked them to be more courageous and not afraid. If you have that mentality, you can grow as a team and as an individual. We came here to gain experience, even if we might lose the game."

Image source: Internet