Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Bishkek: Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan played out a 2-2 draw in their 2018 FIFA World Cup/2019 AFC Asian Cup joint-qualifying match at Dolen Omurzakov Stadium on Thursday.
The hosts were ahead in the first half but the Tajiks took the lead thanks to two goals in a six-minute spell in the second half. However, Mubin Ergashev’s side were to be denied their first win of the qualifiers when Kyrgyzstan equalised in stoppage time.
Kyrgyz midfielder Bahtiyar Duishebekov opened the scoring with his first goal in the campaign with just seven minutes gone only for Tajik defender Manuchehr Dzhalilov to equalise in the 65th minute.
Akhtam Nazarov scored the Tajiks’ second six minutes later and just as it was looking like the visitors would take all three points Anton Zemlianuhin drew Kyrgyzstan level in the 90th minute, with his third goal of the qualifiers after scoring a brace in the 3-1 defeat of Bangladesh on Match Day One.
The group winners and four best runners-up (total 12 teams) will advance to the 2019 AFC Asian Cup finals and the final round of qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
The next best 24 teams from the preliminary stage of the joint qualifiers will compete in a separate competition for the remaining slots (12 slots or 11 slots + 1 slot for the host) in the 24-team 2019 Asian Cup.
NEXT FIXTURES:
October 13: Jordan v Tajikistan
October 13: Kyrgyzstan v Bangladesh