U23 Uzbekistan has announced the list of 26 players preparing for the ASIAD 2026 men's football event in Japan. The Central Asian team started training from September 1 under the guidance of coach Ravshan Khaydarov.
Most of the summoned forces are playing in Uzbekistan, in the colors of clubs such as Nasaf, Pakhtakor or Olympic MobiUz. This is also the group of players that were used by coach Ravshan Khaydarov in the process of preparing for previous tournaments.
The most notable face is Mukhammadali Urinboev. The 21-year-old player currently plays for Royal Antwerp in the Belgian national championship and can play as an attacking midfielder or winger. Playing in Europe helps Urinboev gain more experience before joining U23 Uzbekistan to enter ASIAD 2026.
In addition to Urinboev, Samandar Muratbaev, Saidkhon Khamidov, Dilshod Murtazoev, Quvonchbek Khushvaktov and Nurlan Ibraimov are also familiar players in the U23 Uzbekistan training camps from the beginning of the year.
The Central Asian team continues to complete the preparation process with a friendly match with U23 China on September 10. The match is considered an opportunity for the coaching staff to check the squad and assess the performance of the players before entering the official tournament.
Previously, U23 Uzbekistan had a training trip in Slovenia in June. The team lost to U23 Japan with a score of 0-1, before winning 1-0 against U23 USA. These matches helped the Central Asian team have more opportunities to rub shoulders with opponents of different levels.
At ASIAD 2026, U23 Uzbekistan is in the group with U23 Vietnam, Kuwait and the Philippines. The team will meet the Philippines on September 15, Kuwait on September 18 and U23 Vietnam on September 22.
The confrontation between U23 Uzbekistan and U23 Vietnam takes place in the last match of the group stage. This is predicted to be a noteworthy match in the competition for the top spot in the group, as both teams aim to win the right to advance.
