On Dec. 15, a marquee match about the Asian Cup is about to kick off. In the latest report from Soccer Daily, we unveil the mystery of Tajikistan, the first opponent of the Asian Cup.
Recently, Tajikistan announced a 27-man preparation list, of which 24 have been named on November 36th. Among this list, the new additions of defender Imonazarov and midfielders Shukurov and Tusunov stand out.
In recent years, Tajikistan has made significant achievements in youth training. Croatian coach Šegot has pursued a rejuvenation strategy that has resulted in a team with as many as 12 players under the age of 23, eight of whom are under 21.
In this list, 10 players have studied abroad. Strikers Soylov and Samiev, midfielders Umarbayev and A. Juraboev played for foreign clubs. It is worth mentioning that domestic giants Dushanbe Independence's Kamolov, Pan Ishambet and veteran A. Galilov are also on this list. They have gained a lot of experience in this year's AFC Champions League and provide solid technical support to the Tajikistan team. Dushanbe Independence has a total of 10 players on the roster, making them the core of the Tajikistan team.
In addition, the Tajikistan team has four naturalized Russian players. Veteran midfielder A. Galilov played for Russia's national team in the U17-U21 age group and was naturalized four years ago, while key midfielder Umarbayev played for Russia's youth U18 national team and completed his naturalization eight years ago.
