Uzbekistan U-17 national team head coach Islombek Ismoilov and player Sayfiddin Sodikov participated in a press conference ahead of the final match:

Islombek Ismoilov:

— Playing in the final is fantastic, our team has worked hard for this. Saudi Arabia is one of the strongest teams. We’ve played against them many times. But a final is a final, and we have a responsible task ahead. Both teams are aiming for victory. Our main goal is to win tomorrow’s match and make our people happy.

On preparing for the final:

— We prepare for each match individually. There are no easy matches in this tournament. The final will also be tough because mentality comes first. We are doing everything we can to prepare the players in all aspects to be in ideal condition for the game. All our players are ready for the match, and fortunately, none of our players have been injured. We hope that tomorrow our team will deliver one of its best performances and achieve victory.

On the players’ mentality before the final:

— We respect our opponents, but we are not afraid of any team. We have our own style of play, and we will try to win with confidence and beautiful football. We’ve been emphasizing this to our players. We also paid extra attention to the psychological aspect before the match against North Korea. At this age, players’ mentalities can change quickly. In football, no situation repeats itself exactly the same. We will forget the result of the previous match and focus on winning the most important one.

Sayfiddin Sodikov:

— Our opponent tomorrow is Saudi Arabia. We played in the same group, and we know them very well. The victory in the group stage won’t relax us. We are mentally and physically prepared for the final. In the opening match, we were a bit nervous, but with the guidance of our coaches, we began to feel better from game to game. We will do our best to win and bring the trophy back to our country.