Uzbekistan coach Fabio Cannavaro looks dejected after the match. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

Uzbekistan coach Fabio Cannavaro took ⁠responsibility for his side’s 5-0 World Cup Group K loss to Portugal on Tuesday, but insisted it was a team growing on the ‌international stage and would be better for the bitter experience in Houston.

Cannavaro’s side is on the ‌brink of elimination at its debut World Cup ‌after ⁠it also lost 3-1 to Colombia and has a ⁠final fixture against the Democratic Republic of Congo on Saturday, when victory is a must to keep its hopes of a round-of-32 place alive.

“They ​tried everything, they tried ‌their best, I am very proud,” Cannavaro told reporters. “We have to keep believing until we mathematically cannot go through.”

Cannavaro, a World Cup winner with Italy in 2006, said ‌the blame for the defeat must rest with him ​and not his players.

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“All my life I have taken responsibility, as a player and as a ⁠coach. If we lost 5-0, it is because today I made mistakes, and not them (the players),” he said.

“This is our first ‌time at the World Cup. I told the players that they can misplace a pass and make mistakes. Because I must give them the confidence to try and improve.”

Uzbekistan was denied a superb goal by Azizjon Ganiev at 2-0 when it was disallowed for a foul in the ‌build-up, and Cannavaro admitted that knocked the stuffing out of his team.

“The ​goal that was disallowed really had an impact on our confidence,” he said. “It was a shame ⁠because we started playing just as we did against Colombia, we ⁠were playing boldly,” he said.

“I asked them to be more courageous, to play football and not to ‌be afraid. If you have that mindset you can grow as a team and grow individually.

“We are here to ​gain experience even if we are to lose.”

Published on Jun 24, 2026