Tajikistan national football team

After the breakup of the Soviet Union, Tajikistan played its first match against Uzbekistan on 17 June 1992. It was not until 1994 that the Tajikistan National Football Federation was admitted to FIFA.

Tajikistan played its first official game on 11 April 1994 in Tashkent as part of a regional tournament. They lost that game against Kazakhstan 0–1.[2] The first official competition the team entered was the qualifiers for the 1996 Asian Cup, when it was seeded in the three-team Group 8 with Uzbekistan and Bahrain. Bahrain later withdrew, leaving Tajikistan to a play-off against their Middle Asian neighbors. Tajikistan won the first game 4–0, but were beaten in the away game 0–5 after extra time. They did not enter a World Cup qualifying competition until the France 1998 edition, recording four victories in their preliminary group stage including a 5–0 triumph over Turkmenistan, and losing only to China, which placed them second behind their eastern neighbors, but out of the competition.[2]

In a three-team qualifying section for Korea/Japan 2002, they had a record 16–0 win over Guam before losing 2–0 to Iran. After beating Bangladesh 4–0 on aggregate in the preliminary round of the qualifiers for Germany 2006, they held AFC Asian Cup semi-finalists and eventual group winners Bahrain to a goalless draw on 31 March 2004.

The team won its first international tournament, the inaugural AFC Challenge Cup, in 2006, beating Sri Lanka 4–0 in Dhaka.

Following Tajikistan's disappointing 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign, Mubin Ergashev and his staff were relieved of their duties.[3]

Tajikistan were drawn into a 2019 Asian Cup qualification group with the Philippines, Yemen and Nepal. Following their defeat to Philippines on 27 March 2018, confirming Tajikistan's failure to qualify for the Asian Cup, manager Khakim Fuzailov resigned.[4]

Due to the unsuccessful performance of Tajikistan in recent years, Usmon Toshev, the Uzbek coach, was appointed to reinvigorate the Tajik side. Under Usmon, Tajikistan performed well in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying, managing to beat neighbor Kyrgyzstan 1–0 and holding the same opponent 1–1 away. However, Tajikistan suffered a heartbreaking shock 3–4 loss to minnows Myanmar away, in what was considered to be a shock given Myanmar's poor form in early games, thus putting Tajikistan into trouble. Ultimately, with the withdrawal of North Korea, Tajikistan paid dearly when its points against Mongolia were not counted, thus following Tajikistan 1–4 away loss to Japan, an Asian powerhouse, Tajikistan was officially out of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Eventually, despite Myanmar replacing Mongolia to finish bottom thus added six points for Tajikistan, the Tajiks could not reduce the deficit due to poor goal difference and thus missed out on the final round.

As of 15 June 2021[7]

Players in bold are still active with Tajikistan.

As of 14 November 2021

Period	Head coach
1992–1994	Sharif Nazarov
1994–1995	Vladimir Ghulamhaydarov
1996	Abdulla Muradov
1997–1998	Zair Babayev
1999	Sharif Nazarov
2000–2002	Salahiddin Ghafurov
2003	Sharif Nazarov
2004	Zair Babayev
2004–2006	Sharif Nazarov
2007	Mahmadjan Habibullayev
2008–2011	Pulad Qadirov
2011–2012	Alimjan Rafiqov
2012	Kemal Alispahić
2012–2013	Nikola Kavazović
2013	Mubin Ergashev
2013–2015	Muhsin Muhammadiyev
2015–2016	Mubin Ergashev
2016–2018	Hakim Fuzaylov
2018	Alisher Tuhtayev
2018–2021	Usmon Toshev
2021–	Mubin Ergashev (Interim)