Uzbekistan seals footballing dream with World Cup qualification

Uzbekistan are heading to next year’s World Cup for the first time in the country’s history, a feat that caps years of progress in a part of the world not known for its footballing prowess.

The Central Asian nation qualified for football’s premier international tournament on Thursday thanks to a 0-0 draw with the United Arab Emirates — enough to seal the achievement with one game to spare.

“I cannot convey my feelings. I am very, very happy — for the first time in 34 years the Uzbekistan…