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Football is the most popular sport in Kyrgyzstan, a country that gained independence in 1991. Although the team has not yet participated in the finals of a continental event, the team has showed glimpses of promise and potential. Kyrgyzstan managed to defeat Singapore and played valiantly against the likes of Bahrain and Kuwait in their 2002 world cup qualifying campaign. Kyrgyzstan recorded their highest win against Maldives i.e. 6-0 in 1997.
Still, any hopes of making it to the qualification stage of the 2004 Asian Cup China was demolished when they surprisingly loss their first match against Afghanistan who was just returning to international football. As a result of the loss, even their subsequent victory against eventual group-winners Nepal was not enough.
The team though did one step better in the qualifications of the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany and their performances here left no one in doubt that there is a bright future for football in Kyrgyzstan. Grouped with Bahrain, Syria and neighbours Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan more than matched their rivals. They even recorded a 1-0 win away from home against Syria who was ranked nearly 70 places above them.
Having the physique of the Europeans will be an advantage for Kyrgyzstan and it is now left to the Federation to harness the skills of the young players. However, as funds are limited and costs for travel and accommodation for international matches are prohibitively high, it is therefore extremely difficult for the national teams to gain experience, apart from in official competitions.
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