Uzbekistan Lose 2–0 to Canada in World Cup Warm-Up Friendly

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Uzbekistan’s national football team suffered a 2–0 defeat to Canada in a friendly match played at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton as part of preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals.

The first half was evenly contested and ended goalless. Uzbekistan created several opportunities to take the lead, with captain Eldor Shomurodov twice failing to convert one-on-one chances against Canadian goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau.

After the break, the hosts made the most of their chances. Jonathan Osorio opened the scoring in the 58th minute. Uzbekistan responded with attempts to equalize and created several dangerous moments, including efforts from Abbosbek Fayzullaev, but failed to score.

In added time, Jayden Nelson doubled Canada’s advantage. In both goals, the assists were provided by forward Tani Oluwaseyi.

Abdukodir Khusanov and Eldor Shomurodov played the full match for Uzbekistan.

Following the match, Uzbekistan head coach Fabio Cannavaro said the team performed well in the first half, playing compactly and aggressively, but lost intensity after the break and made mistakes that were punished by the opposition.

He added that such errors are better made in friendly matches than in competitive fixtures. Cannavaro said he is working on increasing the team’s tempo and highlighted positive aspects of the performance.

The coach also praised Canada’s progress in recent years, noting the growth of football in the country and the presence of many talented players.

Looking ahead to the World Cup, Cannavaro described Uzbekistan’s group opponents—Portugal, Colombia and DR Congo—as strong teams, stressing that his side has “nothing to lose” at its first-ever World Cup appearance.

He also commented on defender Abdukodir Khusanov, calling him a player with huge potential who is already performing at a very high level, but still needs to improve his decision-making in certain game situations.

Uzbekistan will play its final friendly before the tournament on 8 June against the Netherlands.