After a year following the World Cup in Qatar, Srečko Katanec will experience his own ‘Qatar’: The Slovenian coach will lead the Uzbekistan national team in the largest Asian championship
Photo: Nogometna zveza Uzbekistana
Srečko Katanec faces a challenge at the beginning of the upcoming calendar year, which led to his appointment as the head coach of the Uzbekistan national team. The former coach of the Slovenian national team will lead his current team at the Asian Cup of Nations, hosted by the reigning champion, Qatar.
Katanec’s journey in this championship begins on Saturday, January 13, where his team will first face the Syrian national team in Group B. Five days later, they’ll play against India, and to conclude the group stage, they’ll encounter the highly competitive team from Australia. Two best teams from each of the six groups and the four best third-placed teams will secure a spot in the knockout stages. The tournament will feature 24 national teams.
The Slovenian coach faces additional challenges before the tournament due to the injury of the team captain and star player, Eldor Shomurodov, who represents the Italian Serie A club, Cagliari. The mentioned footballer, who has scored 48 goals in 68 appearances wearing the national team jersey, reportedly suffered a serious leg injury recently and is likely to miss the championship.
As an interesting note, the final, scheduled for February 10, will be held at the Lusail Stadium, which also hosted the final match of the previous World Cup. Uzbekistan enters the championship on the back of a streak of six undefeated matches.
Ladies and gentlemen, the draw is done! ✅
The Groups are set! ✔️
Let the countdown to #AsianCup2023 begin! pic.twitter.com/UtgH8jgsfd
— #AsianCup2023 (@afcasiancup) May 11, 2023
This text was automatically translated using AI.
Author: editorial Football Planet
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