Tajikistan's national football team, labelled as the surprise package of their debut appearance at the Asian Cup, is gearing up to face Jordan in the quarterfinals on Friday. Coach Petar Segrt, expressing confidence in his team, emphasized that Tajikistan's "dark horses are still running" and are not content to halt their remarkable journey at the quarterfinal stage.

Segrt, a charismatic Croatian coach, spoke passionately about his team's ambitions during a pre-game press conference on Thursday. "We are ready to continue our dream," he declared. Despite being the lowest-ranked team remaining in the tournament, Tajikistan has captured attention with their impressive performances.

Segrt acknowledged the doubts about his team's ability and said, "Maybe everyone laughed about Tajikistan going to the quarter-final, but nobody is laughing now." He continued, saying, "We know we are the dark horses of this tournament and the dark horse is still running," expressing his optimism for the group's future.

Reflecting on his strategy to deflect pressure from his players, Segrt said, "That was my small secret -- I took all the pressure on me. There is too much focus on me now. Now focus on the players. They are the stars, not me."

After placing second in the group stage behind hosts Qatar and winning a thrilling penalty shootout against the United Arab Emirates in the round of 16, Tajikistan advanced to the quarterfinals.

Coach Segrt remains cautious of the formidable Jordanian side, highlighting their fighting spirit and their recent dramatic victory over Iraq. The teams had previously drawn 1-1 in a World Cup qualifier, setting the stage for a closely contested quarterfinal clash.

Coach Segrt's rallying cry, "Maybe everyone laughs if we go to the semi-final?," reverberates throughout the football community as Tajikistan attempts to extend their historic run in the Asian Cup. However, this dark horse intends to make a run for the semifinals." Two competitive teams aiming to advance to the tournament semifinals will square off in what should be an exciting matchup.