Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Hisor: Tajikistan’s attempt to qualify for the Finals of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup is back on track after the country’s players faced up to their responsibilities following a disappointing start to their campaign, claimed coach Khakim Fuzaylov as the Central Asian nation picked up a second consecutive win.
Tajikistan handed Nepal a 3-0 defeat in Hisor, just outside the nation’s capital Dushanbe on Tuesday evening to close the gap on Group F leaders the Philippines and Yemen, who played out a 1-1 draw in Doha.
While the Philippines still lead the group with eight points, Thomas Dooley’s team now only hold a two-point advantage over both Yemen and Tajikistan with Nepal bottom of the standings with just a point.
Tajikistan made a miserable start to their campaign, losing to both Yemen and the Philippines, but the back-to-back wins over Koji Gyotoku’s team have reignited the country’s hopes of a place in the United Arab Emirates.
“We are happy with victory,” said Fuzaylov. “Tajikistan lost the first two games in the group stage, but after that the players felt their responsibilities and have changed the situation and they had a lot of motivation before this game.
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