Serbian specialist Goran Stevanović has left the Tajikistan national team after the two sides failed to agree on a contract extension, Eurasia Football reports.

Moreover, it was under Stevanović's leadership that the team secured a spot in the 2027 Asian Cup finals. Under his guidance, the team played four matches, winning three and drawing one – the key match against the Philippines, which earned Tajikistan a spot in the tournament.

The specialist himself parted ways with the team without any hard feelings. "We didn't reach an agreement on a contract extension. However, I was very happy with our collaboration. The Football Federation has wonderful people working there, and Tajikistan is a wonderful country," he said.

According to Eurasia Football, Stevanovic was hoping for a renegotiation of the financial terms, including a salary increase and the right to bring in his own assistants. The federation rejected the revised terms.

Stevanovic will take over as head coach of the Tajikistan national team in the fall of 2025. His replacement has not been announced.

In addition to Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan qualified for the tournament in Saudi Arabia from Central Asia. Turkmenistan failed to advance past the qualifying round and will miss the Asian Cup for the second consecutive time. The team, coached by Rovshan Meredov, lost 2-1 to Thailand in the decisive match in Bangkok.

The 2027 Asian Cup will be held from January 7 to February 5 in Saudi Arabia. Qualification is almost complete: 23 of the 24 teams have been selected. The final spot will be awarded in June in the Lebanon-Yemen match, postponed due to the challenging security situation in the region.