DUSHANBE, May 16, 2011, Asia-Plus — Tajikistan’s Istiqlol qualified for this year’s AFC President’s Cup after thrashing Buhtanese side FC Yeedzin 8-0 on May 15.
According to AFC President’s Cup’s website, Farhod Tohirov slammed four in Istiqlol’s massive victory while Fathullo Fathulloyev scored two. Dilshod Vasiyev and Akmal Saburov contributed a goal each for Istiqlol.
Dushanbe’s Istiqlol and defending AFC President’s Cup champions Yadanarbon joined Taiwan Power Company (Chinese Taipei) and FC Balkan (Turkmenistan) in the six-team finals.
Phnom Penh Crown FC (Cambodia), Neftchi Kochkor-Ata (Kyrgyzstan), Abahani (Bangladesh) and Don Bosco Sports Club (Sri Lanka) will battle it out for the remaining two spots from May 21 to 25 in Cambodia.
The 2011 AFC President”s Cup is the seventh edition of the AFC President”s Cup. It is a football competition for “emerging countries” by the Asian Football Confederation.
Football Club Istiqlol (Dushanbe) was established in November 2007, under the Presidency of Shohruh Saidov. In 2008, Istiqlol competed in Tajikistan First Division under the guidance of head coach Kanat Latifov and won all 35 games and qualified for Tajik League.
In 2009, in its debut in the Tajik League, led by new head coach Salohiddin Ghafourov, the team finished fourth. The team had some experienced players some young players mostly from Tajikistan national under-17 football team that won bronze in AFC U-17 Championship 2006 and reached round 16 at 2007 FIFA U-17 World Championship. In 2009, the Dushanbe-based club won two trophies – the traditional winter-spring tournament ”Rustam Doltabayev’ and the National Cup of the Republic.
In 2010, under coach Alimjon Rafiqov Istiqlol made a kind of “hat-trick by winning the Super Bowl, the national cup and championship in Tajikistan.
Winning the championship in Tajikistan in the season-2010, FC Istiqlol first time in history has the right to participate in the 2011 AFC President”s Cup.
