Houghton leaves Uzbek national team

FootballAsia.com November 23 Rumours linking former Uzbekistan coach Bobby Houghton with a return to the China national team are wide of the mark according to sources close to the Englishman. "There has not been an official offer and we have had no formal contact from the Chinese Football Association," the source told FootballAsia.com. Houghton parted company with Uzbekistan on Tuesday after failing to reach agreement over an extension to his original short term contract, which would have saw the 58-year-old, who was China National Team Manager from 1997 to 2000, lead the Central Asians' quest to qualify for the 2007 Asian Cup finals. Houghton was brought in at the end of July on a four-month deal to guide the Uzbeks through the final stages of their 2006 World Cup qualifying campaign with the option to extend the contract should he successfully navigate their final Group A match against Kuwait and play-offs against Bahrain, who took third in Group B, and then CONCACAF's fourth-placed side, Trinidad and Tobago. Uzbekistan came from 2-0 down to beat Kuwait 3-2 in Tashkent and looked to have taken the advantage over Bahrain in the play-off after winning the first leg 1-0 thanks to a 12th minute goal from veteran midfielder Mirjalal Kasimov. However, a now infamous refereeing blunder by Japanese official Toshimitsu Yoshida led to the annulment of that match and the replayed tie finished 1-1. Talal Yusuf's strike in Tashkent proved to be pivotal after the second leg in Manama finished 0-0, sending Baharin through on away goals. Despite Uzbekistan failing to qualify for the World Cup, the FA was still keen to retain the services of the man that took Swedish side Malmo to the final of the 1979 European Cup, where they lost 1-0 to Nottingham Forest, another club that Houghton has coached. Houghton turned down the Uzbeks' offer and he has since agreed to take up a position elsewhere, which will be announced "in the next few days."