Uzbekistan national team defender Farrukh Saifiyev apologized to Turkmenistan national team goalkeeper Rasul Charyev for injuring him in the second round match of the CAFA Nations Cup. Saifiyev told this to the Championat.Asia publication.
The incident occurred in the second half of the match, Saifiyev, while fighting for the ball, kicked Charyev in the face.
"I didn't do it on purpose, I was just playing with the ball. In the locker room, I apologized to the goalkeeper personally," Saifiyev said.
After the incident, Charyev was replaced. Following a medical examination, the goalkeeper received several stitches on his face, and a broken nose was also diagnosed.
Charyev himself does not consider the opponent's actions to be intentional. The goalkeeper, in a conversation with Turkmenportal, noted that recovery will not take long, and expressed hope for a quick return to the field.
