Uzbekistan thrash Laos 5-2 at Asian Youth Football Championship

Bernama September 26 Uzbekistan started their Asian Youth Football Championship Group C campaign well by thrashing Laos 5-2 at the Petaling Jaya Stadium here Sunday. Nodirbek Kuziboyev was Uzbekistan's hero with a hattrick in minutes 55, 72 and 75 while the other two goals were by Marat Bikmoev (85th) and Sadriddin Abdullayev (88th). Rauf Inileev's boys, who were fourth in the 2002 championship in Doha, dominated the first half with several dangerous attacks by the striker pair of Bikmoev and Daut Djatdoyev. They nearly scored in the 4th minute but Bikmoev's lob which was taken by Djatdoyev went off Laos' left post. Laos under Saysana Savatdy also missed a chance to open the score when a cross by Khamxay Phakasy was wasted by Bounmy Insyiangmay when Uzbek goalkeeper Erkin Jabbarov was out of position. In the second half, Inileev substituted Djatdoyev with Abdullayev to strengthen his frontline, and this clearly was a good move as in the 55th minute, Abdullayev's cross was taken up by Kuziboyev for the goal. Just three minutes later, Laos through Sengaloun Souvanh equalised in a goalmouth melee. Kuziboyev answered with his second goal off a pass by captain Akmal Shorakhmedov and another three minutes later. Laos fought back to reduce the deficit with a goal by Visay Phaphouvanin in the 83rd minute but Uzbekistan went on to score twice more before the game ended. Inileev said their opponents Laos played too defensively in the first half which made them too tired in the second half. "We could see that the Laos players were not playing their normal game and we took advantage of it," he told reporters during the post-match press conference.