Uzbekistan head coach Fabio Cannavaro described Russia’s national team as a tough opponent ahead of the upcoming friendly between the two sides. The match will be played on November 12 at Pakhtakor Stadium in Tashkent, with kick-off scheduled for 18:00 Moscow time and 20:00 local time.
“They are a very tough team. The match will be a good test for us and an opportunity to assess ourselves against a top national team,” Cannavaro said, as quoted by “Championat”. The Italian added that his coaching staff had analyzed the Russian team and knew its players.
Cannavaro took charge of Uzbekistan’s national team in October 2025. Under his leadership, the team is preparing for the match against Russia as part of the November international window.
Russia and Uzbekistan last met in November 2022. The match in Tashkent ended 0-0. The upcoming game will once again be played in the Uzbek capital, but this time at Pakhtakor Stadium.
For the Russian team, this is the first of two friendly matches in November. After the meeting with Uzbekistan, Valery Karpin’s side will face Venezuela on November 17 in Krasnodar. Russia is playing only friendly matches after FIFA and UEFA barred its national team from their international tournaments.