Tajikistan played its first official game on 11 April 1994 in Tashkent as part of a regional tournament. It lost that game against Kazakhstan 0–1.[3] The first official competition the team entered was the qualifiers for the 1996 AFC Asian Cup, when it was seeded in the 3-team Group 8 with Uzbekistan and Bahrain. Bahrain later withdrew, leaving Tajikistan to a play-off against their Middle Asian neighbors. Tajikistan won the first game 4–0, and were beaten in the away game 0–5 after extra time. It did not enter a World Cupqualifying tournament until the 1998 FIFA World Cup edition, recording 4 victories in its preliminary group stage including a 5–0 triumph over Turkmenistan, and losing only to China, which placed it second behind its eastern neighbors, and out of the tournament.[3]
After failing to have a direct spot for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, Tajikistan hired Croatian manager Petar Šegrt, and Tajikistan took part in the third round of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup qualification, joining with Myanmar, Kyrgyzstan, and another Southeast Asian country Singapore. Due to COVID-19 pandemic, the third round was played in a single round-robin group format with a centralised host, which Tajikistan's group saw its neighbour Kyrgyzstan hosting it. Tajikistan defeated Myanmar (4–0) and Singapore (1–0), before holding neighbour Kyrgyzstan in a goalless draw, topping the group and, after failing in 5 previous attempts, Tajikistan was able to qualify to its first-ever AFC Asian Cup in 2023. Tajikistan was invited to the 2022 King's Cup in Thailand held in September 2022 where Tajikistan defeated Trinidad and Tobago 2–1 and sees them advanced to the final defeating Malaysia in the penalty shootout winning their second international trophy.[6]
Kit
In September 2017, Tajikistan's kit was supplied by Chinese sporting apparel company Li-Ning.[7]
(21 December 2023)[1]
Tajikistan 2–2 Uzbekistan 
Tajikistan 16–0 Guam 
Japan 8–0 Tajikistan 
