Tajikistan’s Wildest Football Dreams
Although Dushanbe’s spectacular shot at the Asian Cup was cut short, Tajikistan has its eyes on the World Cup.
There was a brief moment last month when Central Asia’s wildest football dreams – an Asian Cup game between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, essentially guaranteeing the region its first cup – existed in the realm of possibility. That dream imploded with Tajikistan’s loss to Jordan on February 2 and Uzbekistan’s loss to Qatar in the penalty round after a 1-1 draw the next day.
The quarterfinal loses, however, won’t erase the moment of pan-Central Asian joy that was evident in the stadium during the January 28 Round of 16 game when Tajikistan, whose national team is referred to as the Lions, ousted the UAE in penalties and punched its first-ever ticket to the quarterfinals. The team celebrated before a mixed Tajik and Uzbek crowd, vastly outnumbered by Qataris at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Al-Rayyan, west of the capital, Doha. They were raucous in their joy.
Journalist and football fan Chris Rickleton reported on the game for RFE/RL, recounting the gripping final moments:
Cue five perfect Tajik penalty kicks and one U.A.E. penalty saved by the Tajik goalkeeper. Cue bedlam. Cue Tajik players piling on top of each other and getting down on their haunches and yelling like men possessed.
Cue [Tajikistan’s head coach Petar] Segrt leading a chorus of "Tojikiston, ba pesh!" (Go forward, Tajikistan!) in front of the Central Asian country's supporters – vastly outnumbered by glum-faced Arabs but notably backed up by fans from Tajikistan's larger neighbor Uzbekistan, which is also doing well in the tournament.
As Rickleton went on to point out, “Go forward, Tajikistan!” is a phrase made famous by President Emomali Rahmon, and one that echoes at most national sports games. Indeed, it’s impossible to separate the sport from the state.
The president of Tajikistan’s football federation is none other than 36-year-old Rustam Emomali, the president’s son. He holds other notable positions, including as chairman of the National Assembly of Tajikistan and mayor of Dushanbe but football has been a lifelong passion.
In 2007, Rustam co-founded the Dushanbe-based football club Istiklol and played on the team as a striker while also, naturally, serving as the club's captain. The team dominates on the national circuit, shadowed by rumors of preferential refereeing and selective punishment targeting teams that happened to beat FC Istiklol. In one memorable instance in 2012, FC Ravshan Kulob beat FC Istiklol. Immediately after, according to RFE/RL’s reporting at the time, FC Istiqlol’s head coach accused the FC Ravshan team of playing in a “very rude and mean” manner. Tajikistan’s football federation acted quickly, imposing sanctions on five FC Ravshan players.
The events, and accusations of favoritism, followed in the wake of a June 2011 snafu in which FC Ravshan fans rioted after a loss to FC Istiklol, complaining about the referees. At the time, 24-year-old Rustam had just taken up the football federation’s presidency.
In recent years, Rickleton reports, Tajikistan’s football federation’s work “has been guided by a program called Orzu 2026 (Dream 2026), which aims to get Tajikistan qualified for a World Cup.”
That journey begins soon. As the Asian Cup wrapped up in February 2024, in March the Tajik Lions will play two matches against Saudi Arabia as part of the 2026 World Cup qualification process. Although Tajikistan entered its first World Cup qualifying tournament in 1998, Dushanbe has never actually qualified for a World Cup. That said, the Tajik national team either did not enter or did not quality for any Asian Cup until 2023. And an expansion of the field of qualifying teams – from 32 to 48 – starting with the 2026 World Cup will open the doors for more teams than ever to punch their ticket to the ultimate football tournament. So Tajikistan’s dream is very much alive.
Rustam is widely understood to be waiting in the wings to take over the country’s presidency when his father, who has led Tajikistan since 1994, deigns the moment ripe to step down. Tajikistan is not due for a presidential election until 2027. Of course, 72-year-old Rahmon may decide to step down early and a World Cup appearance would make a nice backdrop for Rustam to ascend to the presidency, wouldn’t it?