Uzbekistan celebrated a 7-0 mauling of Singapore but coach Robert Gay is hoping the hosts don't lose focus against Iran.TASHKENT – Uzbekistan coach Robert Gay has called on his side to continue their impressive form when they take on Iran in their second Group A match in the AFC U-16 Championship on Monday.
The hosts enjoyed the best possible start to the tournament on Saturday as they crushed Singapore 7-0 but Gay is aware that their clash against Iran at Pakhtakor Stadium will not be as easy for his side.
"The match against Iran will not be easy because they have won the first match and they are a tough side," said Gay.
"We know them very well as we have previously played against them and they are a serious team.
"We will try our best to motivate the players after the big win against Singapore and I hope that they can show us good football just like they did in the first match," he added.
Iran enter the game in buoyant mood following their 2-0 win against Bahrain but coach Ali Doustimehr expects a stern test from the well prepared Uzbeks.
"I believe that Uzbekistan are the strongest team In our group due to the fact that they are well prepared," he said.
"The Uzbekistan Football Federation has prepared this team for the past few years and they have shown how good they can be.
"Despite beating Bahrain in our first game, there is still a chance for all four teams to progress including Singapore," he added.
"At this level, you can't say who will win as the results are unpredictable."
Singapore’s Japanese coach Kageyama Masanaga will be hoping to have a full squad at his disposal for their game against Bahrain on Monday after missing eight players against Uzbekistan due to illness and late arrivals.
"We still have two matches to play and we have tried everything to help the players recover from the shock of the first match," said Masanaga.
"I watched the video tape of the match and hopefully we can learn from it.
"We just hope that the players who missed the game have recovered and we will try our best to motivate them to put on a good show because we still have a chance."
Bahrain’s Tunisian coach Hosni Zouaoui was also optimistic about his side’s chances despite their loss to Iran.
"We have only lost one match and we still have a chance to qualify from the game," said Zouaoui.
"We must win against Singapore before our last game against Uzbekistan which will be hard."
"Everything is possible in football and we still have a chance and I think that there will still be a chance in the last round of matches," he added.
Source:The AFC.com
