December 15 - The winds have changed - today, Soccer Daily published an in-depth report dissecting the mysterious Tajikistan, the opponent for the first match of the Asian Cup.
In a recent iteration, Tajikistan, the first round opponents of the Asian Cup, have officially unveiled their 27-member preparation squad for the tournament. Based on the 24-man roster from Nov. 36, newly added defender Imonazarov and midfield stars Shukurov and Tusunov stand out.
Tajikistan's soccer career has been growing like a mushroom in recent years. The rejuvenation strategy led by the famous Croatian manager Šegot has been very effective. In the latest list, only defenders A. Nazarov, K. Nazarov and midfielder A. Galilov is over 30 years old, the rest of the 23 players are young, 8 of them are under 21 years old.
As many as 10 players on the list have studied abroad, with strikers Soylov and Samiev, and central midfielders Umarbayev and A. Juraboev all playing in foreign countries. Only Kamolov, Pan Ishambet and veteran A. Galilov stayed at home and played for Independence Dushanbe. It is worth mentioning that Dushanbe Independence contributed 10 players to the roster and became a solid support for the Tajikistan national team.
It is worth noting that the Tajikistan national team also boasts four naturalized Russian players. Veteran midfielder A. Galilov played for Russia's national team in the U17-U21 age group and completed his naturalization four years ago, while key midfielder Umarbayev also played for Russia's youth U18 national team and his naturalization dates back eight years.
