ALMATY, Kazakhstan — If preserving the general public placated is based on historical Roman knowledge about ”bread and circuses,” then Tajikistan’s nationwide soccer workforce is holding up its facet of the discount with aplomb.
On a heady night on January 28, Tajikistan defeated the United Arab Emirates on penalties to succeed in the quarterfinals of the AFC Asian Cup in Qatar, sparking joyous scenes each on the sphere and greater than 2,000 kilometers again dwelling in Central Asia.
The emotional launch wasn’t simply as a result of the truth that the U.A.E.’s nationwide workforce is ranked greater than 40 locations forward of Tajikistan in FIFA’s worldwide rankings — or that Tajikistan is showing in Asia’s premier soccer match for the primary time.
Slightly it was the way in which they received, for the second time in a row, with that penchant for drama that has turn out to be a trademark of this Tajik workforce beneath the management of uber-charismatic Croatian coach Petar Segrt.
With very reasonable expectations going into the match, Segrt’s facet has already delivered hope, one thing unfamiliar to one of many poorest international locations to realize independence from the Soviet Union.
And having invested monetary and political capital into the game lately, the authoritarian republic’s rulers shall be very happy to take the credit score.
The ’Tajik Lions’ And Their ’Einstein’
The second-round Asian Cup tie on January 28 was not probably the most prestigious recreation that the 45,000-seat Ahmad bin Ali Stadium on the outskirts of Doha has hosted in its three years of existence.
That might probably be the second-round World Cup match between Argentina and Australia that despatched Lionel Messi and buddies on their technique to sport’s largest prize in 2022.
However the Tajik gamers actually rivaled the Argentinians of their celebrations after a victory that ranked among the many nation’s biggest-ever sporting successes.
The knockout recreation with U.A.E. had been in sufficiently dramatic style after Tajikistan beat Lebanon 2-1 after a tying aim within the eightieth minute and a winner two minutes into stoppage time of their final recreation within the group stage.
They have been Tajikistan’s first targets of the match after a scoreless draw with China — who had a aim controversially disallowed — and shedding 1-0 to the hosts, Qatar, within the second recreation.
After the victory towards Lebanon, the gamers mobbed a delighted Segrt — whose mustache and wild mob have seen him likened to Albert Einstein — smashing his glasses within the course of.
Writing on a Fb group referred to as Soccer of Tajikistan, one commenter celebrated ”a brand new web page within the nation’s soccer historical past,” whereas making an indirect reference to perceived poor refereeing within the defeat towards Qatar.
”Regardless of all of the injustice, conceitedness, and incompetence, the Tajik lions have confirmed that it’s unimaginable to interrupt the Tajiks and Tajikistan,” wrote the commenter.
If the Lebanon recreation was about snatching victory from the jaws of defeat, the fixture towards U.A.E. was very almost the reverse.
Tajikistan took the lead within the first half after two of the workforce’s defenders mixed for a trendy header aim earlier than lacking a number of good probabilities to increase it.
The Emiratis then equalized within the 94th minute and seemed more likely to get an extratime winner earlier than penalties intervened.
Cue 5 excellent Tajik penalty kicks and one U.A.E. penalty saved by the Tajik goalkeeper. Cue bedlam. Cue Tajik gamers piling on prime of one another and getting down on their haunches and yelling like males possessed.
Cue Segrt main a refrain of ”Tojikiston, ba pesh!” (Go ahead, Tajikstan!) in entrance of the Central Asian nation’s supporters — vastly outnumbered by the followers from neighboring Qatar.
And now for a February 2 quarterfinal with Jordan — a tough however removed from insurmountable opponent — forward of a possible semifinal towards Australia or South Korea.
That might be massive time.
’Convey Concord To The Folks’
”Go ahead, Tajikistan” is a phrase made well-known in a speech by Tajikistan’s veteran authoritarian chief, Emomali Rahmon, which has since turn out to be common at sporting occasions involving nationwide groups.
Previous to the sport towards Lebanon — and in the midst of his diplomatic go to to Qatar — the long-serving strongman dropped in on the soccer gamers to offer some phrases of inspiration.
Based on the state info company Khovar, the footballers ”expressed gratitude to the Chief of the Nation for fixed assist and encouragement and famous that in response to this care and assist, it’s going to make each effort to earn [his] belief” in addition to the belief of Rahmon’s highly effective son, Rustam Emomali, and the individuals of Tajikistan.
The workforce gave Rahmon a signed soccer and a nationwide workforce jersey with ”Emomali Rahmon” and the primary printed on the again.
Whereas the ruling Rahmon household is accused by its critics of plenty of ugly issues — systemic corruption and heavy-handed repression to call just a few — they can’t be accused of neglecting the ”stunning recreation.”
In truth, Tajik soccer’s growth has grown in parallel with the profile of Rustam Emomali, at present chief of the nationwide federation, mayor of the capital metropolis Dushanbe, chairman of the higher home of Tajikistan’s legislature, and his 71-year-old father’s presumed inheritor.
For the final a number of years the federation’s work has been guided by a program referred to as Orzu 2026 (Dream 2026), which goals to get Tajikistan certified for a World Cup.
Whereas this system has 9 principal instructions, there was a particular deal with focusing on success for the nationwide workforce in age-restricted youth tournaments and growing grassroots soccer.
A number of the younger gamers on the present nationwide workforce are graduates of this effort.
A separate, however seemingly government-directed initiative was the founding of a Dushanbe academy of the well-known Italian soccer membership Juventus, with each Rustam Emomali and Rahmon current on the opening.
RFE/RL Tajik Service sources within the Dushanbe enterprise group have disclosed that Emomali and different prime officers have up to now requested them for ”voluntary contributions” towards soccer infrastructure and growth initiatives.
Segrt’s 2022 appointment because the nationwide workforce’s head coach was an funding for the current, fairly than the long run, along with his contract up to now working solely to the tip of Asian Cup.
No stranger to worldwide soccer after stints managing the nationwide groups of Georgia, the Maldives, and Afghanistan, the 57-year-old Segrt is the antithesis of an aloof outsider employed strictly for technical experience.
Talking after the group stage win over Lebanon, Segrt mentioned that ”9.5 million individuals” had scored the profitable aim — a reference to the inhabitants of Tajikistan, a rustic he referred to as a rustic of ”fighters.”
A Reuters information report after the upset over U.A.E. quoted the coach as calling Tajikistan his ”first nation” when requested whether or not he would possibly contemplate staying as coach after the match and that his precedence was to ”make and convey concord to the individuals.”
For residents of a former Soviet republic which, like Segrt’s native Croatia, spent the primary years of independence embroiled in a vicious army battle, such heat phrases will imply the world.
However a spot within the AFC Asian Cup semifinals will imply much more.