Segrt Lauds Tajikistan Players' Mental Toughness

By Ahmad Nazrin Syahmi Mohamad Arif

DOHA, Jan 23 (Bernama) -- Tajikistan boss Petar Segrt praised the mental toughness of his players as The Crowns rallied from behind to defeat Lebanon 2-1 in their last Group A match of the 2023 Asian Cup at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, here.

The last-night victory secured Tajikistan's spot in the knockout stage in their inaugural campaign.

Despite the jubilant scenes after the final whistle which saw Segrt lose his spectacles, the 57-year-old Croatian could see clearly where the match was won against Lebanon.

“It was a fantastic game, a tough game. Don’t forget, two times we had our goals cancelled and it was the right decision, but mentally it can be draining. So I’m very proud of my players, they showed great fight.

“Lebanon played well, but I thought we would get chances, we could see them tiring, so we just needed to keep attacking. This kind of game you play for your life. I believe in these boys, they have great characters. Tajikistan people are fighters and will fight until the end,” he told a post-match press conference here.

Segrt who led Tajikistan to a 2023 Merdeka Tournament title in October said he had a talk with former Germany coach Joachim Low before the match, expressing his admiration for the fantastic tournament.

“For us, this was a big dream to qualify for this tournament and the dream turned to qualifying for the knockout stage. Now we dream again,” he added.

In the clash, Lebanon's midfielder Bassel Jradi opened the scoring just two minutes after the break but the momentum shifted in Tajikistan's favour when Kassem El Zein received a red card.

Midfielder Parvizdzhon Umarbaev netted the equalizer in the 80th minute before substitute Nuriddin Khamrokulov headed in the winner for the debutants two minutes into stoppage time.

Disappointed Lebanon head coach Miodrag Radulovic acknowledged that the red card was the turning point in a match that seemed to be going in their favour.

“It's very difficult to talk after this game because we had everything in our hands. We played a good game, perfect until 56 minutes and then after one lapse of concentration we got a red card. In such a tough game, it’s difficult to play so long with one man less.

“But I'm proud of my team’s performance and fight. Even with one man less we still created chances to score, this team has a great future,” Radulovic said.

The defeat extended Lebanon’s wait for a knockout stage appearance while Tajikistan continues to live the dream as they will lock horns with the Group C runners-up on Sunday.

-- BERNAMA