The former national captain has strengthened his squad by inviting all his foreign-based players.

Defender Vitaliy Denisov (Dnepr, Ukraine), midfielders Aziz Ibragimov (Bohemians, Czech Republic) and strikers Maksim Shatskikh (Dynamo Kiev, Ukraine) and Shahboz Erkinov (Pas, Iran) have joined the camp on Friday while Vagiz Galiullin, who struts his stuff for Russian champions Rubin, is expected to arrive on Saturday.

“We will choose 18 footballers who are in the best condition after the camp and we will not play any friendly till the Bahrain game,” Kasimov said after the team’s first training.

Regarding their West Asian rivals, he said: “We have already played many matches and know each other very well. We saw videos of their recent matches and hope to get a positive result from the match.”

“Every match is very important for us. In final stage you must fight for every point.”

THE SQUAD

Goalkeepers: Ignatiy Nesterov, Temur Juraev (both Pakhtakor), Mikhail Naumov (Mashal)

Defenders: Anvar Gafurov, Ruslan Melzitdinov, Hayrulla Karimov, Sahob Juraev (all Bunyodkor), Anzur Ismailov (Pakhtakor), Artyom Filiposyan (Mashal), Ismal Turahojaev (Neftchi), Hikmatjon Hoshimov (Metallurg), Vitaliy Denisov (Dnipro, Ukraine)

Midfielders: Timur Kapadze, Jasur Hasanov, Server Djeparov (all Bunyodkor), Odil Akhmedov, Ildar Magdeev (both Pakhtakor), Vagiz Galiullin (Rubin Kazan, Russia), Fazil Musaev (Nasaf), Aziz Ibragimov (Bohemians, Prague)

Forwards: Ulugbek Bakaev, Anvar Soliev (both Bunyodkor), Maksim Shatskikh (Dynamo Kiev, Ukraine), Farhod Tadjiev (Pakhtakor), Shahboz Erkinov (Pas, Iran), Ilyas Kurbanov (Dynamo Samarqand)