not break the deadlock as it ended 0–0 after 120 minutes. In the penalty shootout, Australia prevailed with a 4–2 win, thus Uzbekistan's dream was crushed in the round of sixteen. 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification In the second qualifying round for the 2022 World Cup, Uzbekistan suffered another disappointment by failing to qualify for the final round, a first since the Central Asian team had always reached the final round since it took part in the qualifying rounds of a World Cup, the first time being the 1998 edition. The White Wolves did not manage to finish among the five best runners-up, with a record of 5 wins against 3 defeats (in the first and second leg against Saudi Arabia, leader of group D, as well as in the first leg away against Palestine). 2023 AFC Asian Cup qualification Uzbekistan then took part in the third qualifying round for the 2023 Asian Cup. Designated as the host country of Group C (due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Asia), the Central Asians took advantage of this advantage and the relative weakness of most of their opponents to win all three games and finish top of their group without conceding a goal, validating their qualification for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup. Team image Nicknames The Uzbekistan national team has received several nicknames by supporters and media. The most common one used is "The White Wolves" ( / ). Also, the Uzbekistan national football team is called "Asian Italy" ( / ). This is due to the similarity of colors (white and blue) clothing teams of Italy and Uzbekistan, as well as similar tactics (defensive football) of these teams. The Uzbekistan Super League is often considered to be similar to Italian Serie A. Also, the history of Uzbekistan is as rich and ancient as the history of Italy. Also the team of Uzbekistan is called "Huma birds" ( / ). The mythical Huma bird is the national bird of Uzbekistan, and is depicted on the state emblem of Uzbekistan. The Huma bird is depicted on the emblem of the National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Sometimes the Uzbekistan national football is called "Turanians" ( / ), because the current country of Uzbekistan is located in the center of this ancient region Turan, and all the ancient and major cities of this region are located in this country, and therefore Uzbekistan