The Central Asians have aspirations to claim a maiden continental title in Doha and already have three points in Group A after beating tournament hosts Qatar 2-0 in their first Group A match last Friday.

They face a Kuwait side that suffered defeat in their opening game as they were downed 2-0 by China, and are certain to be on the offensive to keep alive their hopes of reaching the last eight.

And Abramov knows there is still plenty of work to do if his side are to avoid undoing the good work set out against the Qataris.

"Winning the first game was very important to get three points but three points don't get you into the next round. We must play strong and we must take some more points," he said.

"Now I think only of Kuwait, the players know they need to win because it is a chance to get into the next round.

"I think it will be a very tough game because the difficulty is that Kuwait could lose the chance to qualify for the next round."

Kuwait coach Goran Tufegdzic told his players to forget about their defeat to China and instead approach the game against the Uzbeks as if it is their first of the tournament.

The West Asians arrived at the Asian Cup brimming with confidence after winning the West Asian Football Federation Championship and the Gulf Cup of Nations towards the end of last year, but will need to be at their best to secure the win they need tomorrow.

"I think our team has to forget the last match against China and concentrate on tomorrow's game because it is a very important match," said Tufegdzic.

"I hope our players' mentality is very strong and I believe in my players. I hope tomorrow that our team can produce a good result."