On January 6 in Jeddah, during the first round of the group stage, the Kyrgyz team faced the Saudi Arabian team.
The first half of the match was memorable not so much for dangerous moments as for the sending off of a player. In the 34th minute, the main referee Fu Ming from China, after reviewing the video replay, showed a red card to Arsen Sharshenbekov.
In the second half, the Kyrgyz team demonstrated solid defense until the referee awarded a penalty for a handball in their penalty area. Nevertheless, goalkeeper Kurmanbek Nurlanbekov brilliantly saved the opponent's shot.
The Kyrgyz team held on until the 88th minute but conceded a goal in the final moments.
The match ended with a score of 1:0 in favor of the Saudi Arabian team.
In the next round, which will take place on January 9, the Kyrgyz team will face the Vietnamese team, which won their first match against Jordan with a score of 2:0.
