Making their Asian Cup debut, Tajikistan will take on China in Group A action at the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium in Qatar on Saturday.

The Chinese punched their ticket into this tournament by finishing second in their second-round qualifying group behind Syria, while the Crowns topped their third-round qualification group to advance into this competition for the first time.

Match preview

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One of the most intriguing sides to watch in this competition may be the Chinese, traditionally contenders for the Asian Cup, though they have yet to lift the trophy.

Aleksandar Jankovic began coaching this program at the youth level years ago before becoming the senior manager in February 2023.

The 51-year-old Serbian's side are not in great form heading into this tournament, losing three successive matches in all competitions, including a 3-0 home defeat versus South Korea in 2026 World Cup qualifying.

While they began 2024 by losing a friendly to Hong Kong for the first time in 29 years (2-1), Dragon's Team have made it beyond the group stage of the previous two Asian Cup tournaments before being knocked out in the quarter-finals.

Qatar are the only Group A side seeded above China according to the FIFA rankings, with the Chinese currently 79th, 27 places above Tajikistan (106).

China have won their opening match at the Asian Cup on four successive occasions and have not lost their opener since 1996 (2-0 versus Uzbekistan).

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It has been a long journey for the small landlocked nation of Tajikistan, who cemented their name in Asian footballing history, topping their third-round qualifying group above arch-rivals Kyrgyzstan.

When it mattered most, their backline held firm, without a goal conceded in the third stage of qualification, while finishing tied with Bahrain for the fewest goals scored among the third-round group winners.

Petar Segrt saw the Tajiki footballing fortunes change dramatically in 2023, with the Croatian helping them rise up to 106th in the FIFA rankings, the highest-ever mark for this team since the Soviet Union split.

They are off to a great start in 2026 World Cup qualifying, unbeaten after two second-round fixtures, currently three points above Jordan for a top-two position and a spot in the next qualification stage.

Only two players selected for this competition are over 30 years old, but despite their lack of experience, they will enter the Asian Cup with plenty of belief, unbeaten in their last five competitive fixtures.

The Crowns have never beaten China in five previous attempts, with their best result being a 0-0 draw in a June 1997 World Cup qualifying affair.

Team News

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Wu Xi was replaced by Wang Qiuming after 36 minutes in their friendly with Hong Kong on New Year's Day, with the Chinese captain picking up a hamstring injury.

Jian Tao was the only player chosen for China in this competition without an international cap, Zhang Linpeng moved above the century mark for the national team versus Hong Kong, collecting his 101st appearance, while Zhang Yuning made his 25th appearance earlier this year, replacing Tan Long, who notched their only goal of that encounter.

Wu Lei needs nine more caps to reach 100 and is seven goals behind Hao Haidong for the most-ever with the national team, with the veteran Shanghai Port striker currently in second at 32.

Despite boasting a young squad, every Tajikistan player chosen for this tournament has at least one senior cap, with Alisher Shukurov and Mukhriddin Khasanov the least experienced of the bunch with a single cap each and the latter making his first appearance between the sticks in their previous match versus Hong Kong (2-1 victory).

Ehson Panjshanbe is four appearances away from 50, Mukhammadzhon Rakhimov needs two more caps to reach that milestone, while their most capped senior player, Akhtam Nazarov, has 77 appearances to his name.

Captain Parvizdzhon Umarbayev can move into a tie for fifth in all-time goals for his country alongside Fatkhullo Fatkhuloev, with the CSKA 1948 midfielder currently on nine, while Rustam Soirov and Shashrom Samiev found the back of the net in their triumph versus Hong Kong.

China possible starting lineup:
Junling; Haofeng, Linpeng, Browning, Yang; Liangming, Xin, Shangyuan, Pu; Lei, Yuning

Tajikistan possible starting lineup:
Yatimov; Safarov, Khanonov, Dzhuraboyev, Nazarov; Umarbayev, Juraboev; Panjshanbe, Dzhalilov, Rakhimov; Samiev

We say: China 1-1 Tajikistan

The current FIFA rankings suggest this will be a mismatch, but Tajikistan have a well-balanced side who are in great form, while overall boasting some decent quality in the attacking third, as seen in their 6-1 shellacking of Pakistan last November.

China, meanwhile, are entering this competition in poor form, with Lei having to shoulder the scoring load, and we believe they could get frustrated by this young, upstart Tajiki squad.

Written by
Joel Lefevre

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