Tashkent: Uzbekistan rallied to beat Qatar 5-1 in Tashkent yesrterday but fell short of an automatic qualifying spot for the 2014 World Cup finals on goal difference.
Uzbekistan were pushed into third place in Asian qualifying Group A, behind Iran and South Korea, and will have to rely on the play-off route to make it to Brazil.
Iran beat South Korea 1-0 in Ulsan yesterday to top their qualifying group, and South Korea also qualified automatically for the finals after finishing above Uzbekistan on goal difference.
If Uzbekistan had beaten Qatar by a margin of six goals they would have overhauled South Korea as runners-up.
The third-place finishers in both Asian qualifying groups will meet in a two-leg playoff, with the winners taking on a South American side in another two-leg playoff for the right to play in Brazil next year.
The hosts missed a flurry of chances in the first half and paid for their profligacy when Qatar took the lead in the 37th minute through Abdulqadir Ilyas’s first international goal.
Bahodir Nasimov found the Uzbeks’ equaliser in the 60th minute with his first touch after replacing Alexander Geynrikh.
Oleg Zoteev, another substitute, put Uzbekistan in the lead before Nasimov added his second. Odil Ahmedov and Ulugbek Bakaev completed the scoring.
Celebrations, though, were shortlived for both the home crowd and the players as news of Iran’s victory reached the Bunyodkor Stadium in Tashkent.
Qatar’s debutant goalkeeper, Ahmed Abonora, made several saves in the first half to frustrate Uzbekistan in their quest to improve their goal difference.
Abonora twice denied Geynrikh from close range and pulled off an acrobatic save to keep out Uzbekistan captain Server Djeparov’s volley from outside the box. Uzbekistan will face Jordan in the Asia playoff.
Jordan kept their hopes of a maiden appearance at the World Cup alive as Ahmad Hayel’s header midway through the second half secured a 1-0 win over Group B rivals Oman.
In Ulsan, there was little celebration after the home team booked another World Cup finals appearance. Angry fans, media and Iran coach Carlos Queiroz took aim at departing counterpart Choi Kang-hee.
Forward Reza Ghoochannejhad was Iran’s hero, latching on to an error by defender Kim Young-gwon to score the winner in the 60th minute with the visitors’ only real chance of a one-sided match in Ulsan.Agencies
