In the second round of the group stage of the Asian Cup, the Kyrgyz team took the lead, but soon the opponent equalized thanks to an excellent shot by Marlen Murzakhmatov. However, in the final minutes of the match, the ball, after hitting a defender, ended up in the net of Kurmanbek Nurlanbekov.
This defeat was the second consecutive loss for the Kyrgyz national team, causing some players to fall to the ground in tears. Now the team has practically lost its chances of advancing from the group, although there is always hope...
Meanwhile, that same evening in the group, a match took place between Saudi Arabia and Jordan, where the Saudis, despite leading, managed to lose.
As a result of the two rounds, all four teams in Group A have chances both to advance to the playoffs and to be eliminated from the tournament. Even the Kyrgyz team, with 0 points, still retains its possibilities despite two defeats. Similarly, Vietnam, with 6 points, could also leave the tournament.
In the current standings, Vietnam is in first place with 6 points. They are followed by Jordan and Saudi Arabia, each with 3 points. Kyrgyzstan is at the bottom of the table with zero points in the "points earned" column.
The final matches in this group are scheduled for January 12. Kyrgyzstan will face Jordan, while Saudi Arabia will play against Vietnam.
Although the team's fate is not entirely in its hands, mathematically, Kyrgyzstan still has a chance to advance to the quarter-finals, even after two defeats.
In the last match of the group stage, the Kyrgyz team needs to win against Jordan by at least two goals (for example, 2:0, 3:0, 3:1, 4:2, etc.). Any other outcome will leave Edmar Lacerda's team without a chance to continue in the tournament.
But that is not enough. In a parallel game, Vietnam must win against Saudi Arabia by any score.
If everything goes according to this scenario, the Kyrgyz national team will earn 3 points and equalize with Saudi Arabia and Jordan in this indicator. In the case of a points tie, the goal difference becomes critically important. That is when it will be crucial for Kyrgyzstan to defeat Jordan by a two-goal margin.
If all conditions are met, the Kyrgyz national team will take second place in Group A and advance to the playoffs, despite a rocky start to the tournament.
It is important to note that the final matches will take place simultaneously, and the teams will not be able to rely on the results of other games.
