BISHKEK (Reuters) – FIFA President Gianni Infantino urged Kyrgyzstan on Friday to build a national football stadium to host international games and address the lack of infrastructure.
The former Soviet republic has no modern stadiums built to international standards that can host FIFA-level matches, and its national team’s FIFA ranking has fluctuated between positions 201 and 75, currently standing at 96th.
On the day of Infantino’s visit, the mountainous nation of 7 million inaugurated the new, FIFA-sponsored headquarters of the Kyrgyz Football Union which has previously resided in an old, small building on the outskirts of the capital, Bishkek.
“I spoke to the (Kyrgyz) president (Sadyr Japarov) about the national stadium of football,” Infantino said.
“It is very important, symbolic, but crucial for the development, so, we will bring more international games to Kyrgyzstan, and you will shine on the Asian stage and on the global stage.”
Japarov, whose team made up of senior public servants won a friendly game against that of FIFA officials, said football was the most popular sport in Kyrgyzstan and the country had ambitious goals.
“Kyrgyzstan has great, great talents. The men’s football team qualified two times in a row for the Asian cup. In 2019, excellent tournament..,” Infantino said. “Now again, qualified with very little infrastructure and football development.”
FIFA has deployed a talent development team in Kyrgyzstan this year and is investing in a football academy there, as well as programmes to promote the sport at schools and among women.
(Reporting by Marlis Myrzakul Uulu; Writing by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Kim Coghill)
