The quarter-finals of the Tajikistan Football Cup will start in early July. All matches, like the 1/8 final stage, will be held in a two-game format, so even a successful result in the first game does not guarantee a ticket to the semi-finals.
Just a few days ago, the dramatic matches of the 1/8 finals ended, giving several loud sensations at once. The current winner of the Regar-TadAZ trophy, the ten-time winner of the Istiklol Cup and one of the leaders of the CSKA championship dropped out of the fight.
Now eight teams continue to fight for the country’s second most important trophy, and the schedule for the first quarterfinal matches has already been approved.
Schedule of the first matches of the 1/4 finals:
July 3 (Friday). 19:00 – “Sardor” – “Istaravshan” (Tursunzade, TALCO-Arena stadium). 20:00 – “Eskhata” – “Panjshir” (Khujand, stadium “20th Anniversary of Independence of Tajikistan”).
July 4 (Saturday). 18:30 – “Vakhsh” – “Khujand” (Bokhtar, Vakhsh stadium). 19:00 — “Ravshan” – “Parvoz” (Kulob, Kulob-Arena stadium)
“Eskhata” – “Panjshir”: will the debutant’s fairy tale continue?
Perhaps the most unexpected team of the current Cup remains Panjshir. The representative of the first league has already managed to knock CSKA out of the tournament and will now try to create a new sensation.
However, the team’s opponent is extremely difficult. Eskhata just stopped the current Cup holder, Regar-TadAZ, drawing with them twice and winning in a penalty shootout. On paper, the Khujand club looks like the favorite, but after the previous round no one will underestimate Panjshir.
“Sardor” – “Istaravshan”: a chance to rewrite history
Another interesting pair brought together teams that are not among the traditional favorites of Tajik football. “Sardor” confidently passed the previous stage, while “Istaravshan” became one of the discoveries of the Cup, first beating “Barkchi” and then maintaining an advantage on aggregate.
Reaching the semi-finals would be a major achievement for both teams, so cautious football in the first leg is likely.
“Vakhsh” vs “Khujand”
It is this couple that looks the most status at the quarterfinal stage. “Vakhsh” managed to beat “Mohir” only in a penalty shootout, surviving a real football thriller. “Khujand” knocked out the most titled club in the country, “Istiklol”, from the tournament.
It is curious that both teams continue to fight for high places in the national championship, so their confrontation has a double meaning. The Bokhtar team will have a slight advantage due to their home field, but Khujand has already proven that it is capable of defeating any opponent.
Kulyab derby
Another interesting pair is “Ravshan” and “Parvoz”. The Kulob team gradually regained shape after a difficult start to the season, continue to fight for championship medals and look like one of the contenders for the Cup.
But Parvoz cannot be called a random quarter-finalist. The team confidently passed Somon, and in the championship they have already managed to present several big surprises, including a victory over CSKA. If the guests manage to achieve a positive result in Kulyab, the intrigue before the return match will be maximum.
Who is closer to the semi-finals?
Based on the current form of the teams, “Eskhata”, “Vakhsh” and “Ravshan” look like slight favorites of their pairs. The most unpredictable one can be called the meeting between Sardor and Istaravshan, where a lot will depend on the first match.
But the current Cup has proven more than once that being a favorite does not guarantee anything. Three big clubs have already dropped out of the competition – Istiklol, Regar-TadAZ and CSKA, which means that the quarterfinals may well bring new surprises.
Not only a prestigious trophy and a substantial prize fund are at stake. The winner of the Tajikistan Cup 2026 will receive 200 thousand somoni and, most importantly, a ticket to the AFC Challenge League for the 2027/28 season.
The current holder of the trophy is Regar-TadAZ from Tursunzade. In the final of the 2025 Tajikistan Cup, the team confidently defeated Eskhata from Khujand with a score of 5:0.
