Navbahor Namangan - Uzbekistan Super League 2021




I have started concentrating more on the Uzbekistan league this season, but last season I saw a few Navbahor games, mainly because they seemed to be the ones that were on when I had some time and also I was interested in the fact that Andrei Kanchelskis was the manager. He's since been sacked, and to be honest it isn't a massive surprise as they were pretty poor and weren't as entertaining as any of the other games that I have seen this season. That said, they did have a mid-table finish last year and this year have failed to win a game, having posted 2 losses and a 0-0 draw in the opening 3 fixtures. They might want to hurry up in appointing a new manager as caretaker, 69 year old Victor Jalilov doesn't look like he's up for the job anymore.

It hasn't always been like this for Navbahor though, in the 1990s in the country's early infancy as an independent state they won the league once and the cup three times. The club were originally founded in 1978 and called Tekstilschick. Despite the name, the area is also famous for salt, agriculture and light industry. Since independence it has also become one of the most religiously active parts of the country too.

The name Navbahor means 'New Spring'.

Players to watch: Given the fact that Navbahor are definitely a team that are shy in front of goal, it comes as no surprise that two of Navbahor's most highly rated players are a goal keeper and a deep lying centre-half. Utkir Yusupov is a shot stopper, who is highly rated and seems to be on the up and at 30 will still be hoping to get more international call ups to go with his solitary appearance against Qatar, where he kept a clan sheet and was selected by the legendary Hector Cuper. Igor Golban in the heart of defence is also 30 and seems to improve with age. He spent most of his early career in Russia, where he was born, but has enjoyed himself more in Uzbekistan where he first played for Kokand in 2015 before joining Navbahor in 2016 where apart from a short stint at Nasaf Qarshi he has been since.

Star signing: A lot will be expected of Ekhson Pandshanbe who is a central midfielder who has joined from serial champions Istiklol in his native Tajikistan. He's a direct replacement for Azibek Turgunboev, who left Navbahor for the champions. Pakhtakor. At 21 Pandshabe is only going to improve and has already impressed in the opening games.

Foreign legion: Pandshabe is joined by a trio of Serbs and a Russian in the squad. Nikola Tasic, who joined from Serb 2nd tier side Zharkova plays in central defence; central midfielder, Marko Putincanin also joined this season signing from Serb Super League outfit, Vozdovac and the third Serb, centre forward Slavisa Stojanovic from Serb Super League side, Rad. Russian left winder Ivan Solovjev is in his third season at the club after joining from Sochi in 2019.

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