Kurmanbek Nurlanbekov — the first goalkeeper from Kyrgyzstan to save a penalty in the Asian Cup

At the Asian Cup (U-23), the goalkeeper of the Kyrgyzstan youth national team, Kurmanbek Nurlanbekov, became the first in the history of his people to save a penalty.

The match, which took place on January 6 in Jeddah, ended in a 0:1 defeat for the Kyrgyz team against Saudi Arabia.

In the 74th minute of the game, the referee awarded a penalty for a foul committed by Arslan Bekberdinov. The midfielder of Al-Qadisiyah, Musab Al-Juwair, approached the ball, but Nurlanbekov managed to successfully handle his shot.

This moment became significant in the history of Kyrgyzstan's football achievements, as it was the first saved penalty for the country's goalkeepers in the final stages of the Asian Cup across all age categories.

The Kyrgyzstan national team has participated in the final stages of the Asian Cup seven times. In 20 matches, seven penalties have been awarded against the Kyrgyz goal, and only one of them has been saved.

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Post by ?? Kyrgyz Republic National football team (@kyrgyzkurama)