The 17-year-old proved himself a sturdy presence in both games and is determined to continue impressing. 

“It’s a great honour and responsibility for me to lead my country in this competition. I want to give my best, because there are scouts in the stands watching the players. This is our opportunity to get scouted and to play with a big team,” said Bakhodirkhonov.

The Odil Junior player only needs to look at recent Manchester City signing Abdukodir Khusanov for inspiration.

The 21-year-old Khusanov, who joined the defending English Premier League champions in January, made history by becoming the first player from Uzbekistan to play in the English top flight.

Only two years ago, Khusanov was playing in an age-group tournament when he featured at the AFC U20 Asian Cup™ and became a key player for his country in that competition.

“Khusanov could open the European door for us. God willing, we will play together with him in the next two to three years in Europe’s biggest leagues,” remarked Bakhodirkhonov, whose defensive stats have also improved.

Against Thailand, Bakhodirkhonov made one successful tackle, two clearances and three recoveries. Against China PR, he upped his game with seven recoveries and three clearances.

Inspired by his father to pursue the game and now to chase the European dream, Bakhodirkhonov is determined to use Saudi Arabia 2025 as his career launchpad.

“Our first goal was to qualify for the FIFA U-17 World Cup. We also want to win the Saudi 2025 title and give happiness to our fans.”