Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Uzbekistan's national football team suffered a defeat against Qatar in an away match held on November 14 in Doha as part of the third round of qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Uzbekistan faced an early setback when captain Eldor Shomurodov was forced to leave the pitch due to an injury in the 21st minute. He was replaced by Jaloliddin Masharipov.

Qatar opened the scoring in the 25th minute during a counterattack, with Almoez Ali finishing a precise assist from Akram Afif. The same duo struck again, with Afif delivering a free-kick cross that Ali converted to double Qatar's lead.

In the second half, Uzbekistan intensified their efforts. In the 75th minute, Khojimat Erkinov delivered a cross from the right flank, allowing Abbosbek Fayzullaev to head the ball into the net. Just five minutes later, Fayzullaev scored his second goal, this time connecting with a cross from the left flank.

Despite Uzbekistan's dangerous attacks, the score remained tied. In the 90+2nd minute, Fayzullaev was brought down by Mohammed Al-Bayati on the verge of a one-on-one opportunity with the goalkeeper. After reviewing the incident via VAR, the referee issued a yellow card to Qatar's defender.

During extra time, in the 102nd minute, Lucas Mendes secured victory for Qatar with a stunning shot into the top corner of Uzbekistan's goal.

In other Group C matches, Iran defeated North Korea 3:2, while the UAE triumphed over Kyrgyzstan with a 3:0 win.