Kyrgyzstan Republic

Kyrgyzstan Republic qualified for the Asian Cup in the third round of qualification, thanks to an unbeaten record in Group F achieved by securing back-to-back wins over Singapore and Myanmar before being held to a draw by group winners Tajikistan.

What to expect

Last time out in 2019, Kyrgyzstan Republic reached the round of 16 after a third-placed finish in Group C, ahead of being dumped out the competition by hosts UAE in a five-goal thriller that went the way of the eventual semi-finalists.

Most recently, the team are unbeaten in the last two warm-up friendlies played ahead of the upcoming tournament – started by a draw with Syria on January 5, and finished with a victory over Vietnam four days later. Before that the side were subject to back-to-back defeats at the hands of Uzbekistan and the UAE just days prior.

The team have been drawn into Group F for the upcoming tournament, lining up against Thailand, Oman and Saudi Arabia.

Star players

Young prospect Gulzhigit Alykulov (below)is a name to watch out for as the White Falcons look to break out of a favourable group.

At just 23-years-old, he is his nation’s top scorer travelling to Qatar, with four goals spanning 27 games. Armed with a market value of €550k, he is the most valuable Kyrgyz player on Transfermarkt thanks to impressing for club and country.

This competition marks Alykulov’s first impression on continental tournament football and represents an opportunity to remind his manager of his quality after being dropped for Kyrgyzstan Republic‘s recent victory over Vietnam.

Another name to look out for is Kyrgyz Defender Ayzar Akmatov (below), who scored twice in two games recently for the republic including vital goals to secure the win versus Vietnam and earn a draw versus Syria in his side’s two most recent matches.

Plying his trade in his home country for AFC Cup side Abdysh-Ata Kant, Akmatov has proved useful as a utility defender, playing left-back, right-back and centre-back for his club as they cruised to the top of their AFC Cup group, contributing with a goal in the process.

Manager

Experienced manager Stefan Tarkovic is currently in charge at Kyrgyzstan Republic, helping to guide the team through their preparations for the upcoming tournament, headlined by staple wins over Vietnam and Oman, the latter of will face Tarkovic’s side in a high-stakes rematch to conclude the Group stages of the Asian Cup on January 25th.

The Slovakian has a 40% win rate for his current team since taking over on April 2023, an impressive achievement following his side’s dismal run of form before his appointment.

Tarkovic was in charge for native team Slovakia’s crash out in the group stages of Euro 2020, as his side were put to the sword by Spain, conceding five in Slovakia’s final match of the tournament.

Schedule

Thailand vs Kyrgyzstan – 16th Jan 2024 – 17:30 – Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium

Kyrgyzstan vs Saudi Arabia – 21st Jan 2024 – 20:30 – Ahmad bin Ali Stadium

Kyrgyzstan vs Oman – 25th Jan 2024 – 18:00 – Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium

Squad