DUSHANBE, November 27, Asia-Plus -- Tajikistan bowed out of the Asian Games football competition, squandering a 2-0 lead against Kyrgyzstan on Friday 24 November, Farid Solehov, a spokesman for Tajikistan’s National Olympic Committee, reported from Doha. 

The result sees Kyrgyzstan qualify alongside Group A rivals Jordan, who broke their goal drought in spectacular fashion by hammering 13 goals past a bewildered Macao, China for no reply.  Despite finishing on the same points as Jordan and Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan went out on goal difference due to Kyrgyzstan’s three-goal superiority in that department.  Jordan roared to the top of the group in fine style having registered two 0-0s in their previous matches.

It all began so well for Tajikistan as striker Bakhtiyor Hasanov latched onto a loose backpass to drill the ball past the keeper after just four minutes, Solehov said.  Five minutes later they looked to be booking their place in the tournament as Hasanov struck again, slotting home a cross from the left.  But after 19 minutes Kyrgyzstan pulled one back through Sergey Chikishev’s header.  Chikishev then scored his second six minutes later, with another header to level matters. 

As the goals went in for Jordan across Doha, Kyrgyzstan needed to hang on to their lead or win while Tajikistan desperately needed to take the lead or exit the competition. No further goals saw a jubilant Kyrgyzstan go through on goal difference at the final whistle.

The 15 ^th Asian Games website quoted Tajikistan coach Karim Toshpulodov as saying, “The players are very young and they were approaching it as preparation for qualification to the Olympic Games.  We changed the players around a lot to see how well they may do in the future.  “It’s winter and our championship season is closed, so the Asian Games gives us an opportunity to prepare younger players for future tournaments,” Tajik coach said.