Ahead of the JAL CHALLENGE CUP 2015 held at Tokyo Stadium in Tokyo on Tuesday 31 March, the Uzbekistan national team landed at Haneda Airport in the evening of 28.

Although the squad just had a friendly in Korea Republic on Friday 27 March, they moved to hotel in Tokyo, flashing smiles around without showing any fatigue. The players recharge their energy for training starting tomorrow and the match scheduled on 31.

Head Coach and Players' Comments

Mirdjalal KASIMOV, Head Coach (Uzbekistan National Team)
I’m very glad to come to Japan. I’ve visited Japan a couple times and I think Japan is a place where kind and wonderful people live. Japan’s national team are one of the top Asian teams and have world-class players. We are also in process of preparing for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers. Friendlies in this period are undoubtedly good for team enhancement, so we will do our best to make it a good match.

MF #8   Server DJEPAROV, Captain
It’s clear Japan are a strong team. This is just a friendly, but we will try our best to make it a great match together. I hope lots of fans coming to the stadium on the day enjoy the match.

DF #20   Islom TUKHTAKHUJAEV
Playing against a team like Japan is a very good opportunity. Japan have lots of experienced players who play in Europe. There is no doubt we will gain great experience from the upcoming match. I hope we can continue to have matches against Japan in the future as well.

Staff

Head Coach: Mirjalol KASIMOV (URS)

Players

GK
21   Akbar TURAEV (Bunyodkor)
1     Eldorbek SUYUNOV (Nasaf)
12   Abdukarim MUKHAMEDOV (Bunyodkor)

DF
5     Anzur ISMAILOV (CHANCHUN YATAI/China)
3     Shavkatjon MULLADJANOV (Lokomotiv)
2     Akmal SHORAKHMEDOV (Bunyodkor)
4     Aleksandr MERZLYAKOV (Pakhtakor)
16    Artyom FILIPOSYAN (Bunyodkor)
14    Shukhrat MUKHAMMADIEV (Nasaf)
20    Islom TUKHTAKHUJAEV (Lokomotiv)

MF
8     Server DJEPAROV (Ulsan Hyundai/Korea)
7     Azizbek KHAYDAROV (Al Shabab/UAE)
9     Odil AKHMEDOV (Krasnodar/Russia)
17    Sanjar TURSUNOV (Vorskla/Ukraine)
13    Lutfulla TURAEV (Lokomotiv)
22    Farrukh SAYFIEV (Nasaf)
18    Sardor MIRZAYEV (Lokomotiv)
10    Sardor RASHIDOV (Bunyodkor)

FW
23    Zokhir KUZIBOEV (Mashal)
15    Vokhid SHODIEV (Bunyodkor)
6     Bakhodir NASIMOV (Padideh/Iran)
11   Shakhzodbek NURMATOV (Metallurg)

JAL CHALLENGE CUP 2015

Tue. 31 March 2015
SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team)  v  Uzbekistan National Team
Tokyo Stadium, Kickoff 19:25/Open 16:25
TV Coverage: National live broadcasting on NTV Group

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