Kulbyte hails Uzbekistan’s resilience after sealing continental return
Tashkent: Uzbekistan head coach Kotryna Kulbyte praised her players’ resilience and character after they overcame a red card and a spirited Nepal fightback to book their place in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026™ with a dramatic 4-2 win on penalties on Saturday.
In what proved to be a thrilling finale to Group F, the hosts looked to be cruising after taking a 2-0 lead by the 40th minute, but the game turned on its head after Nozimakhon Ergasheva’s sending off in first half stoppage time.
Nepal took full advantage, with forward Sabitra Bhandari netting a hat-trick to force a 3-3 draw and sending the match to a penalty shootout as the sides were tied on points and goal difference. Uzbekistan, however, were perfect from the spot while Sabitra and goalkeeper Anjana Rana Magar failed to convert for Nepal as the Central Asian side finished top of Group F.
“We were playing really well until the red card,” said Kulbyte. “By the 40th minute, we were 2–0 ahead. After the red card, we had to defend more, and that made it harder for us. Nepal are a strong and improving team. But the most important thing is that we got the ticket to the Asian Cup.”
Kulbyte revealed that her side had prepared for the possibility of penalties ahead of the match.
“We came here to win the game, not to go to penalties. We even talked about that with the team before the match, so we practiced a bit just in case. Even though we won in the penalty shootout, not in regular time, I want to congratulate the players.”
The victory marks a major achievement for Uzbekistan, who return to the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Finals for the first time since 2003. But for Kulbyte, qualification is only the beginning.
“Now we need to put the emotions aside. We came through a difficult path and grew as a team. Being among the top 12 teams in Asia is a big step for us.
“We’ll now discuss our plans with the coaching staff and the Football Association and start preparing for the Asian Cup. If our goal wasn’t to reach the World Cup, we wouldn’t be here.”
