AFC U17 Asian Cup
The 17-year-old’s strike in the 49th minute earned the 2018 runners-up a 2-1 victory over Oman in their first Group D match and put them on the top of the leaderboard after Islamic Republic of Iran and DPR Korea played to a 1-1 draw.
#AFCU17 | Group D: Tajikistan 2–1 Oman
“I didn't anticipate scoring but I believed I could do so at the right time,” he said. “It was such an unbelievable feeling to give us our first three points.”
Ashuralizoda, who plays for FC Dushanbe, grabbed a hat-trick in their 33-0 defeat of Guam in the Qualifiers, was content with his performance on Saturday.
“I'm satisfied, but I must improve my speed and dribbling so I can contribute more toward helping us win our next two matches.”
Head coach Marco Ragini, whose side play DPR Korea on Tuesday, was happy with the result but called his team’s performance ‘so-so’.
“The players didn't know when to push and when to break the opponents' rhythm,” he said. “We spoke to them during the break about their mistakes and where they had to work harder, and they understood immediately.”
Oman head coach Anwar Al-Habsi admitted they had lost to a better team.
“The team started strongly but Tajikistan was much superior in defence and attack,” he said. “Our players are young so they’re not experienced enough to play the game as they should. We had the advantage but lost it when they scored their first goal.”
The two-time winners will take on Iran on Tuesday.
