The champions of Uzbekistan entertain the Reds in Tashkent on Wednesday night in a bid to overturn a 3-0 deficit suffered in the first leg of the semi-final at Hindmarsh Stadium two weeks ago.

In a question-and-answer with fans on the Uzbekistan Football Fans website, the former World Player of the Year said his team had not given up hope of overturning the result.

“We were the favourites for that match in Adelaide,” Rivaldo claimed.

“But it is impossible to play well in every match. Football is football, very unpredictable. The result was not good for us.

“The Australians are not very strong and we will prove it in the second leg.”

Rivaldo also said that he had talked about the match with Inter’s Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho.

“Mourinho told me he had watched the first match in Adelaide and said we still had a chance and wished us the best of luck,” Rivaldo said.

The winners of the Bunyodkor-Adelaide tie will face the survivors of the other all-Japanese semi-final between holders Urawa Reds and Gamba Osaka in a two-leg final on 5 and 12 November.

Gamba were held to a 1-1 draw by Urawa in the first leg two weeks ago.

The Brazilian ace was also asked to comment on the Uzbekistan team that is bottom of Asia’s World Cup qualifying Group A that is headed by Australia.

“I have watched Uzbekistan’s first two qualifying matches against Qatar and Australia," Rivaldo said.

“In Qatar the Uzbeks did not play too well (they lost 3-0) because the players seemed very tired.

“I was at the Pakhtakor Stadium to watch them play Australia (they lost 1-0). Uzbekistan had home advantage but the players did not have enough confidence and courage.

“The players did not show enough patriotic spirit. Also the fact that all the players came from top clubs Bunyodkor and Pakhtakor is not very good.”

Rivaldo said Uzbekistan, who have since drawn 1-1 with Japan last week to give themselves a lifeline, would have a better chance of qualifying for the World Cup if they played with more confidence.

“Your players have good skills but they must believe in themselves,” he said.

Rivaldo said he was surprised with the skill level at his new club Bunyodkor, which used to be called Kuruvchi before it was taken over four months ago.

“Playmaker Server Djeparov, our captain, could play in Europe with a good club, no problem,” Rivaldo said.

Rivaldo, who started the European season on the books of AEK Athens, reiterated that he had knocked back proposals from clubs in Japan and Australia, believed to be the Gold Coast, before accepting Bunyodkor’s offer.