In the opening match on January 27, the Kyrgyzstan team faced the Iraqi players and ended the game with a score of 2:4, despite having taken the lead at 1:0.
“I am proud of my guys; they fought until the end and did everything possible. Each player showed themselves,” Jetibaev noted.
“We started the match very successfully, scoring from a set piece. In my opinion, the tactics we chose were correct, as we had chances to equalize and even snatch a victory. However, we failed to capitalize on our opportunities. We planned to use our goalkeeper in attack to create additional chances, and he handled this task well, but unfortunately, it didn’t work out in this match,” he added.
“We managed to get back into the game after the second goal, but immediately conceded the third from a set piece. We tried to equalize by playing in a 5-on-4 format, but unfortunately, we couldn’t do it,” the coach continued.
“I also want to emphasize that the team plays as the head coach has taught it. I fully take responsibility for the results of the national team and am ready to discuss all issues related to the players who did not make the squad upon our return home,” he stated.
“I myself played for the national team for many years, and now I am in the coach's position. We are all here as one team. It can be tough for the athletes, as they are often far from their families. In this tournament, all the responsibility lies with me,” concluded Nurzhan Jetibaev, as reported by the Futsal Association of the Kyrgyz Republic.
