There was no agonising failure on goal difference this time, no referee howler to cruelly deny them at the last – on June 5, with a 0-0 draw against the United Arab Emirates in Abu Dhabi, Uzbekistan became the first ever Central Asian country to qualify for the Fifa World Cup Football Finals.

Uzbekistan qualified for its debut soccer World Cup on Thursday night, becoming the first ever Central Asian country to make it to the sport’s global showpiece.

They only needed one point in their visit to Abu Dhabi, and the White Wolves did not disappoint on this occasion. The Uzbekistan team secured a draw against the United Arab Emirates and confirmed