Bangkok: Fayzali Sardorov’s extra-time winner saw Tajikistan edge out Afghanistan 2-1 in Wednesday’s AFC Futsal Asian Cup™ Thailand 2024 quarter-final to secure a place in the semi-finals for the first time and qualification for a maiden FIFA Futsal World Cup.
Afghanistan, meanwhile, will need to wait for the outcome of the day’s last quarter-final tie between Uzbekistan and Vietnam to learn whether their campaign has concluded, or they will return to action in Friday’s play-off semi-finals.
Tajikistan head coach Pairav Vakhidov was proud of his players for creating history.
“It was a very tough match, and the players were under pressure to get the result. We told the players to show their game and not to panic and, fortunately, luck was on our side,” said Vakhidov.
“Two years ago, at the AFC Futsal Asian Cup Kuwait 2022 we reached the quarter-finals but we lost, this time we won and qualified for our first-ever FIFA Futsal World Cup. It’s an unbelievable emotion what I’m feeling right now, I can’t even put it into words.”
Afghanistan tactician Majid Mortezaei applauded his players for matching Tajikistan in the pulsating encounter.
“Both teams played very well, and I want to say thank you to all my players, they played very well,” said Mortezaei.
“We have played with Tajikistan many times before, so we knew what to expect. The game was very difficult for us, and I would say the difference was their defence was very good. Even after they had a player sent off, they kept us out and their goalkeeper played fantastic and made some great saves right at the end.”
Tajikistan made a strong start and Reza Jafari was called into action early by Nekruz Alimakhmadov, before Dilshod Salomov drew an even better save from the Afghanistan custodian on eight minutes.
Salomov forced Jafari into another smart save on 16 minutes, but Afghanistan were stung into action and began to turn the tide as captain Akbar Kazemi hit the post after Firuz Bekmurodov was unable to hold Mehran Gholami’s initial effort.
But it was Tajikistan who opened the scoring against the run of play as Komron Aliev’s run down the left resulted in a cross that was turned into his own net by Reza Hossein Poor two minutes before the break.
The scores were level just three mins after the restart, though, as Farzad Mahmoodi ran onto a lay-off from Kazemi and drilled his low shot past Bekmurodov.
Afghanistan were then close to taking the lead themselves on the 26th minute when a long ball up court found Kazemi’s head only to see the ball crash against the post.
With under four minutes left on the clock there was more drama to come as Tajikistan went down to four men following Idris Yorov’s second yellow card of the match.
But even with a man advantage for the two minute-penalty period, no further goals were forthcoming, and the tie went to extra-time.
After a goalless first period, Tajikistan’s moment of history came in the second minute of the second period after a nerveless 10-metre penalty from Sardorov etched his name into his country’s record books.
