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Tajikistan national football team
Asian Cup | Group Stage
Jan 22, 2024 at 3pm UK
Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium
Lebanon national football team

Tajikistan
2 - 1
Lebanon

Umarbaev (80'), Khamrokulov (90+2')
Jurabaev (27'), Panshanbe (90+7'), Khayloev (90+12')
FT(HT: 0-0)
Jradi (47')
Matar (77'), Al Zain (90+4')
Al Zein (56')

Preview: Tajikistan vs. Lebanon - prediction, team news, lineups

Sports Mole previews Monday's Asian Cup clash between Tajikistan and Lebanon, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Two sides seeking a place in the knockout stage of the Asian Cup for the first time will square off on Monday as Tajikistan face Lebanon at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium.

Heading into the final set of fixtures in Group A, both sides are tied for third with a single point after the Crowns lost 1-0 to Qatar in midweek, while the Lebanese played to a 0-0 draw with China.


Match preview

Tajikistan's Amadoni Kamolov is shown a red card by referee Hiroyuki Kimura on January 17, 2024© Reuters

Two matches into their first appearance at the Asian Cup, Tajikistan have shown they can compete with the experienced sides in this region.

Their missing ingredient at this tournament so far has been quality, failing to find the back of the net in their two matches despite creating their share of opportunities.

Although this tournament is a new experience for them, they have found success in other Asian competitions recently, capturing the King's Cup in 2022 while also winning the most recent Merdeka Tournament.

That should give Petar Segrt's men confidence heading into this pivotal match, where they will likely need three points to advance into the knockout stage.

A victory would not only be their first in this competition, but it would be enough to claim second place and an automatic berth in round 16 should China fail to triumph in their match with Qatar.

Since 2021, the Crowns have only lost one match when scoring the opening goal (5-1 to Uzbekistan in June 2023), while winning just once over that same stretch when conceding the opener (2-1 versus Trinidad and Tobago in September 2022).

Lebanon's Ali Tneich looks dejected after the match on January 12, 2024© Reuters

We saw a much tidier defensive performance from the Lebanese on matchday two, but like Tajikistan, their quality in the attacking third still needs to improve.

Lebanon have failed to find the back of the net in three successive matches in all competitions, though on Wednesday, they managed to keep the opposition off the scoresheet for the first time in their history at this tournament.

Coming into this match with the worst goal differential in Group A (-3), it goes without saying that a victory may be the only thing that keeps their Asian Cup hopes alive.

Four years ago, they saved their best match for last, winning 4-1 against North Korea, and a victory on Monday combined with a defeat or draw by China would guarantee they advance into the knockout stage for the first time.

It would be quite the redemption story for Miodrag Radulovic should he guide this team into the last 16 after the Montenegrin saw Lebanon miss the knockout stage in 2019 on nothing more than disciplinary rules.

The last time the Cedars failed to score in three successive encounters was at the 2023 Intercontinental Cup, when they were shut out in their final three games.

Tajikistan Asian Cup form:


Tajikistan form (all competitions):


Lebanon Asian Cup form:


Lebanon form (all competitions):



Team News

Tajikistan's Shahrom Samiev and teammates applaud their fans after the match on January 13, 2024© Reuters

Amadoni Kamolov will not be available to Tajikistan for this decisive fixture after being sent off late in the match against Qatar following a VAR check.

Captain Parvizdzhon Umarbayev and Ehson Panjshanbe are two caps away from reaching 50, while Mukhammadzhon Rakhimov remains on 49 after failing to feature on Wednesday.

Alisher Dzhalilov was in the starting 11 for a second successive fixture, with his brother Manuchekhr Dzhalilov still battling cancer, while goalkeeper Rustam Yatimov has conceded just one goal in this competition.

From matchday one to two, Radulovic made four changes to his Lebanese starting 11 with Khalil Khamis, Hasan Srour, Maher Sabra and Omar Chaaban coming into the lineup, replacing Robert Alexander Melki, Nassar Nassar, Walid Shour and Mohamad Haidar.

Haidar is now just nine appearances away from 100 with the national team, well behind captain and record cap holder Hassan Maatouk (118), while Nour Mansour has 67 caps for the Cedars, two fewer than Walid Ismail for seventh all-time.

Mostafa Matar can make his 25th appearance for the national team on Monday, with the Ahed goalkeeper collecting his first clean sheet of the competition on matchday two, stopping seven Chinese efforts.

Tajikistan possible starting lineup:
Yatimov; Safarov, Khanonov, Dzhuraboyev, Nazarov; Ayni, Umarbyev, Shukurov, Panjshanbe; Samiev, Dzhalilov

Lebanon possible starting lineup:
Matar; Khamis, Mansour, El Zein; Zein, Srour, Tneich, Haidar; Jradi; El-Helwe, Maatouk


SM words green background

We say: Tajikistan 1-1 Lebanon

While we expect a greater sense of urgency from both sides in this match, given the stakes, it is difficult to envision either having a decisive attacking edge.



For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.


Top tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting an away win in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Away Win:data


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Game History

How you voted: Tajikistan vs Lebanon

Tajikistan
61.5%
Draw
19.2%
Lebanon
19.2%
26
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China coach Aleksandar Jankovic before the match on January 13, 2024
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Group A

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Qatar Qatar33009
Q Tajikistan Tajikistan31114
3 China China30212
4 Lebanon flag Lebanon30121

Group B

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Australia Australia32107
Q Uzbekistan Uzbekistan31205
Q Syria flag Syria31114
4 India India30030

Group C

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Iran Iran33009
Q United Arab Emirates flag UAE31114
Q Palestine flag Palestine31114
4 Hong Kong Hong Kong00000

Group D

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Iraq Iraq33009
Q Japan Japan32016
Q Indonesia flag Indonesia31023
4 Vietnam flag Vietnam30030

Group E

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Bahrain Bahrain32016
Q Republic of Korea South Korea31205
Q Jordan flag Jordan31114
4Malaysia30121

Group F

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia32107
Q Thailand Thailand31205
3 Oman flag Oman30212
4 Kyrgyzstan flag Kyrgyzstan30121


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