Cannavaro shields Uzbekistan from pressure before targeted Congo clash

Uzbekistan coach Fabio Cannavaro is working to shield his players from the immense pressure of the World Cup as they prepare for their decisive final Group K match against the Democratic Republic of Congo. However, he issued a stark warning: his team must be ready to endure hardship on the field.

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They have experienced players, they're very physical, but certainly they're more within our reach.

Cannavaro's squad has faced significant challenges thus far, suffering defeats against Colombia and Portugal while conceding a total of eight goals. Even a victory against DR Congo might not be sufficient to secure one of the eight coveted spots for the best third-placed teams advancing to the round of 32.

DR Congo, having secured one point against Portugal, holds a more favorable position, with victory potentially paving their way to the next stage. Cannavaro, however, has had Saturday's clash on his mind for some time, noting the strengths of their upcoming opponent. "They have experienced players, they're very physical, but certainly they're more within our reach," Cannavaro told reporters.

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From the moment the group was drawn, I always said that against Colombia and Portugal we were going to suffer a lot, because of their technical quality and their physical quality.

Drawing from his own illustrious career, including captaining Italy to World Cup glory in 2006, Cannavaro has strived to mitigate the stress on his team. "From the first day, I tried to take the pressure off my players," he explained. "Because the pressure at a World Cup is incredible. Tomorrow there will definitely be moments when we have to suffer and if we're not ready for that then we will always run into difficulties."

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Against Congo, I expect a different kind of match tomorrow, also because we've taken a bit of the weight off our shoulders after facing those two big teams.

Following a humbling 5-0 loss to Portugal, Cannavaro's primary task has been to reset his team's mentality for what could be their final World Cup appearance. "Over these last few days I've tried to clear my players' heads," he said. "I told them that you don't get hit on the counterattack by Bruno Fernandes and (Cristiano) Ronaldo every day. It happened, it's over, now we have to focus on our match. Because from the moment the group was drawn, we all knew that Congo could be the game for us."

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From the first day, I tried to take the pressure off my players.