In the final Asian Cup group fixture this weekend, Kyrgyzstan will seek their first points of the competition when they face Saudi Arabia on Sunday at Ahmed bin Ali Stadium.

The White Falcons began this campaign with a 2-0 defeat versus Thailand, while the Saudis escaped with a 2-1 come-from-behind victory over Oman.

Match preview

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A slow start proved costly for Kyrgyzstan on matchday one, as they conceded the opener after 26 minutes and found themselves chasing Thailand through a good portion of the game.

It is not the start they were hoping for, but Kyrgyzstan can take a lot of inspiration from their 2019 Asian Cup experience, losing their first two group fixtures that year but still advancing into the knockout stage.

With a defeat this weekend and a Thailand victory or draw, though, their only hope of advancing would be to finish in third, with four third-place spots available.

Their defeat on matchday one was the first for Stefan Tarkovic's men in 2024, though they have won just one of their last five matches in all competitions versus Asian opponents.

In their second appearance at this tournament, they continue to struggle defensively, conceding in every one of their Asian Cup fixtures, including multiple strikes on three occasions.

Kyrgyzstan have lost every one of their Asian Cup encounters in which they have conceded the opening goal, while never losing in normal time when netting multiple goals in a single game.

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Just when all looked lost, a late substitution seemed to turn the tide in favour of the Saudis, who snatched victory from the jaws of defeat on matchday one.

Although they left it relatively late, Roberto Mancini's men fully deserved the three points, putting Oman on the back foot after going behind to a 14th-minute penalty.

That triumph ended a two-match losing and goalless run for the Green Falcons at this tournament and increased their unbeaten run in all competitions to six games.

While the Saudis are always among the favourites to win this competition, they have not made it beyond the group stage on consecutive occasions since making the final in each tournament from 1984 to 2000.

A victory on Sunday combined with a draw or defeat by Oman would secure them a place in the knockout round for a second successive Asian Cup campaign.

The Green Falcons are a perfect 3-0 versus Kyrgyzstan, with all three of those encounters being Asian Cup qualifiers, while the Saudis have not conceded a single goal against them.

Team News

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Eldiyar Zarypbekov is still seeking his first cap with Kyrgyzstan, as he, Amantur Shamurzaev and Sultan Chomoev were the only ones chosen for this tournament without an international appearance.

Tamirlan Kozubaev can reach 50 caps if he plays in this match, Erzhan Tokotayev is one away from 20 and Farkhat Musabekov is four shy of 60.

Ahmed Al-Kassar made his first appearance for Saudi Arabia between the sticks on matchday one, Salem Al-Dawsari can reach 80 caps this weekend and Mohamed Kanno is just two away from 50.

Abdulrahman Ghareeb gave the Saudis a lifeline in their opener, scoring the equaliser just three minutes after coming on for Saleh Al-Shehri, while Ali Al-Bulaihi was the hero, scoring for just the second time on the international stage.

Kyrgyzstan possible starting lineup:
Tokotayev; uulu, Kozubaev, Brauzman, Sagynbayev; Musabekov, Abdurakhmanov, Kimi Merk, Dzhumashev; Kojo, Batyrkanov

Saudi Arabia possible starting lineup:
Al-Kassar; Al-Tambakti, Lajami, Al-Bulaihi; Abdulhamid, Ali, Al-Ghamdi, Kanno, N. Al-Dawsari; Al-Shehri, S. Al-Dawsari

We say: Kyrgyzstan 0-2 Saudi Arabia

Their opening game victory may have felt like a great escape, but Saudi Arabia showed they have the depth and patience to win in various ways, and those qualities seem to be missing right now for Kyrgyzstan.

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

Written by
Joel Lefevre

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