World Cup 2026: Hold Me Responsible For Uzbekistan’s Heavy Loss To Portugal -Cannavaro

Uzbekistan head coach Fabio Cannavaro has disclosed that he will take responsibility for his team’s crushing 5-0 loss to Portugal in their second Group K match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Houston, Texas.

Cannavaro defended his players’ efforts, blaming himself for the tactical approach and mistakes in the heavy loss.

Read Also:World Cup 2026: Ronaldo Is A Role Model To Portugal -Martinez

The Italian tactician also stated that a disallowed goal by Azizjon Ganiev when the score was 2-0 severely hurt the team’s confidence.

“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.”

“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).

“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.

Read Also:World Cup 2026: England Unlucky Not To Score Against Ghana -Tuchel

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

“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.”