The first football match at the new arena in Bishkek is planned for June 2027, according to Kyrgyz Football Union General Secretary Mederbek Sydykov.

Reasons for postponement and new dates

Initially, organizers considered holding the game in March during the FIFA international window. However, weather factors will make it impossible to prepare the playing surface by that period.

"Due to weather conditions, we will not be able to prepare the arena's playing field for the March FIFA international dates. Therefore, we plan to hold the historic first match at the stadium in June 2027."
Mederbek Sydykov, General Secretary of the Kyrgyz Football Union

Changes to the Asian Cup schedule

Parallel to the stadium opening schedule, the dates for the Asian Cup have changed. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has rescheduled the tournament, which was originally set to take place in Saudi Arabia in early 2027.

January 7 — February 5, 2027former Asian Cup dates
December 23, 2027 — January 21, 2028new Asian Cup dates

Kyrgyzstan national team head coach Urmat Abdukaimov welcomed the AFC's decision to postpone the competition. According to him, the extra time will allow the coaching staff to prepare the team more thoroughly for the tournament and the debut match at the new arena.

"For every coaching staff and team, time is one of the most important resources. This will allow us to prepare even more thoroughly for such an important tournament."
Urmat Abdukaimov, head coach of the Kyrgyzstan national team

Context

The Kyrgyz Football Union was founded on February 25, 1992, and is based in Bishkek. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) began its operations on May 8, 1954, with its headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.