Fabio Cannavaro suffered his first defeat as Uzbekistan head coach as the White Wolves fell 2–1 to Uruguay in a high-tempo friendly at Jang Jebat Stadium, Malacca.
After an even, low-key first half, Marcelo Bielsa’s side seized control after the break. Federico Viñas twice unlocked Uzbekistan’s defence, setting up Facundo Torres for the opener around the 50th minute and then Juan Manuel Sanabria for 2–0 just past the hour.
Uzbekistan kept pushing and were rewarded late on: Ruslanbek Dzhiyanov pulled one back in the 82nd minute, finishing a rebound after goalkeeper Franco Israel parried Husain Norchayev’s shot, setting up a tense finale.
For Uzbekistan, Eldor Shomurodov was lively on the right and Abduvokhid Nematov produced several key stops, but Cannavaro’s men couldn’t convert first-half half-chances into goals.
The result ends Cannavaro’s perfect start after his debut win over Kuwait earlier this window. Despite the loss, the match offered useful data points for Uzbekistan’s new setup—particularly transitions and defending second-phase runs—before the next international fixtures.
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