Kanybekov turns supersub as Kyrgyzstan stun Australia in AFC U-16 Championship

Panaji: Kyrgyzstan clamped down in defence, punctured the fancied Australian midfield as they probed and teased the rival defence with pluck and panache. They were eventually rewarded for their persistence when Gulzhigit Borbubaev was brought down in the box in the 75th minute. Substitute Kanybekov Adilet confidently stepped up to the dreaded spot and sent goalkeeper Nicholas Suman the other way.That strike was good enough for the debutants to pull off the first major upset (1-0) in a group ‘B’ clash of the AFC U-16 Championship at the GMC stadium on Friday.
There were no visible sparks for the first 20 minutes even as players of both teams made every effort to adjust to the bounce and flight of the ball as heavy rains made visibility difficult.
It was the defence at both ends that stood tall, giving little or nothing away with the boys from Kyrgyzstan being more incisive and precise in their passing. They also won more balls in midfield that gave them the edge. Unfortunately for them, lack of finishing from outside, near or inside the box ensured they made no breakthrough until halftime.
Alykulov Gulzhigit was at the centre of most of Kyrgyzstan’s raids and either had a chance at goal or played provider. His only direct shot at goal just managed to find the goalkeeper while Momoshev Aziret nodded over.
Australia’s only opportunity came from the boots of Louis D’Arrigo after being put through by skipper John Roberts but the power-packed shot was brilliantly blocked by goalkeeper Sychev Elgard in the 44th minute.
Adrian Viggiani who was the workhorse around which Australia constructed their build-ups came close to putting the men from Oz in the lead in the 52nd minute when he weaved his way past a handful of Kyrgyzstan players before slamming home, only to miss the post by a whisker.