Ulug'bek Bakayev: "A draw would have been a fair result, but football is not played for just 90 minutes"

After the first match of Superliga-2025 between OKMK and "Bukhoro" (2:1), the head coach of Bukhoro, Ulugbek Bakayev, participated in the post-match press conference.

"I congratulate all football fans on the start of the Superliga and wish everyone good luck. We played against a strong team today. OKMK has been managed by Mirjalol Qoshqovich for a long time. We prepared well for the match. Overall, it was a good game. The team showed a worthy performance. There are no complaints about enthusiasm and competitiveness. Our players who came off the bench couldn't get into the game. The goal we conceded at the end was very painful. I thank the boys for their game. I congratulate our opponent on their victory," said Ulugbek Bakayev about today's match.

- The "Bukhoro" team showed a lot of competitiveness and a good performance today. How fair do you think the result of today's match was? Did "Bukhoro" deserve to lose today?

- In my opinion, OKMK did not show a performance worthy of victory. A draw would have been a fair result, but football is not only played for 90 minutes; the game continues in added time as well. My team did not play badly; we could have scored and conceded goals. We deserved a draw, but we forgot the last 3-4 minutes, and that’s why we lost. I have no complaints about my players. The first round match is always difficult; we need to get into the championship schedule from here on.

- How would you rate the performance of Asilbek Qayumov, who came off the bench in the second half? Qayumov lost the ball in almost every situation...

- I just mentioned this, without naming the player. You noticed it yourself. He lost the ball in every situation where he received it. I don’t know what caused this; perhaps he couldn’t get into the game or didn’t warm up enough before coming on. It’s hard to say anything about this. He did not have a good game, and we need to think about solving this issue. I agree with your opinion.

- Your team conceded a quick goal. What do you think, how much did the conceded quick goal change your team's game plan?

- I believe my team is ready for Superliga matches. Our mental and physical condition is quite good. I would say our squad is above average. After conceding the goal, we quickly managed to equalize. It’s hard to say anything. I think the game was heading towards a draw. Honestly, in my opinion, there was a foul in that situation. Every team has its own opinion, of course. OKMK says there was no foul in that situation, while we say the opposite. The bodies that evaluate the referees will review this situation and make a final decision.

- What are the goals of "Bukhoro" for this season? How satisfied are you with the assembled squad?

- We managed to gather a pretty good team. We have assembled a squad rated "four". OKMK was also a serious opponent. They compete for medals every season. I believe the championship will be quite interesting and full of struggles. I can predict that there will be many last-minute goals and such games.