HK beaten by Uzbekistan in World Cup qualifer
Hong Kong, China, fell to Uzbekistan 2-0 in a 2026 World Cup qualifier on Thursday evening. At a sold-out Mong Kok Stadium, the visitors had most of the possession throughout the match and recorded 21 shots, with eight on target, while the SAR team managed a total of five shots, two on target. After a goalless 45 minutes, Uzbekistan broke the deadlock four minutes into the second half with forward Eldor Shomurodov scoring from inside the box.  Rustamjon Ashurmatov doubled the lead with a header in the 65th minute.  With the win, Uzbekistan sit atop Group E with seven points, while Hong Kong are in last place with one point from three matches. Iran and Turkmenistan battle in another Group E match later on Thursday. The SAR will have a chance for revenge when they face Uzbekistan again in Tashkent on Tuesday. Only the top two teams advance to the next stage of qualification.