Paris beckons but Kapadze expects Uzbekistan to deliver silverware first

Doha, Qatar: As delighted as Timur Kapadze was that his side had achieved their target of qualifying for the Olympic Games for the time, the head coac...

Doha, Qatar: As delighted as Timur Kapadze was that his side had achieved their target of qualifying for the Olympic Games for the time, the head coach stressed that he would only truly be satisfied if Uzbekistan lift the AFC U23 Asian Cup trophy a second time.

The Central Asian side were simply too strong for Indonesia in their Qatar 2024 semi-final on Monday, with Khusain Norchaev giving them the lead and Pratama Arhan turning the ball into his own net to send Uzbekistan into their third final in four editions.

Up next are Japan on Friday, with both teams bidding to become the first side to lift the coveted trophy for a second time.

“I dedicate this victory to our President, our people and our supporters,” said Kapadze. “The game was very tough but we must now prepare well because there’s one more game.

 “We’ve achieved our first target but now, we must aim to achieve the second target of bringing home the cup.”