AFC Asian Qualifiers
At the helm of the Central Asian side's bid will be Russian Maksim Lisitsyn, who has replaced Stefan Tarkovic as head coach, with the Slovakian having steered Kyrgyz Republic to the third round.
Factfile
How they got there: Round 2 Group D Runners-up
2022 AFC Asian Qualifiers Record: Eliminated in Second Round
Previous FIFA World Cup appearances: Nil
Head Coach: Maksim Lisitsyn (RUS)
Fun Fact: In qualifying for the third round of the AFC Asian Qualifiers, Kyrgyz Republic have confirmed a ticket to the AFC Asian Cup™ Finals for third consecutive time
The groundwork to reach the FIFA World Cup began after Kyrgyz Republic qualified for the AFC Asian Cup Finals for the first time in 2019, which was followed by another appearance at Qatar 2023.
Ready to move up to another level, Kyrgyz Republic demonstrated their potential by booking their berth in the third round of the AFC Asian Qualifiers for the first time and the newly-appointed Lisitsyn is determined to chart more progress.
“I have worked in the Kyrgyz Republic for a long time. This appointment is a very big responsibility for me, and I promise to do my best to achieve our goals,” said Lisitsyn.
“All potential future opponents are very strong, so I don't have any preferences for the draw. We'll see what the results are."
“At this moment, this appointment is the highest point in my career, and I hope it won't be the last. I aim to achieve new milestones with the Kyrgyz national team.
“The national team’s doors are open to everyone, but the decision to include someone must be logical. We need to understand what positive contributions they can bring, both on and off the pitch. That is the main criterion.”
