Leave Khusanov alone

The past week has been eventful for fans following Abdukodir Khusanov and the Uzbekistan national football team. Khusanov returned to Uzbekistan, got engaged, set a wedding date, received an expensive car as a wedding gift, and gave his first interview after joining "Manchester City". Alongside the national team, he defeated neighboring Kyrgyzstan, taking a significant step toward the World Cup. The week culminated in a meeting between Khusanov and President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.  

We begin our weekly digest dedicated to Abdukodir Khusanov and the national team. Assalamu alaykum.  

The week started with the return of "Manchester City"'s Uzbek defender, Abdukodir Khusanov, to his homeland. The footballer arrived in Uzbekistan on March 17 to participate in the World Cup qualifiers as part of the national team.  

Khusanov, whose wedding is scheduled for May, was presented with a Mercedes-Benz G-Class, also known as a Geländewagen, as a wedding gift upon his arrival in Tashkent.  

This luxury car was gifted to Khusanov by Uzbek football official Ulugbek Asanboev. In turn, Khusanov presented his father with a foal valued at $350,000.  

Asanboev, a former player for "Pakhtakor" and "Dustlik", has been actively involved in organizing player transfers to foreign clubs in recent years.  

"Manchester City's management continues to pay close attention to Khusanov. The club has arranged a private plane for his travel to the away match against Iran. It is also expected that this plane will take him from Iran back to Manchester.  

On March 17, the Uzbekistan national team began training for the match against Kyrgyzstan, scheduled for March 20. On the first day of training, several legionnaires—Abdukodir Khusanov, Eldor Shomurodov, Jaloliddin Masharipov, and Abbosbek Fayzullaev—were absent. Many media outlets gathered at the JAR stadium to cover the national team’s training and, in particular, to interview Khusanov. However, it turned out that Khusanov had requested time off to participate in one of the most significant events of his personal life that day.  

On March 17, Abdukodir Khusanov, the Uzbek defender for "Manchester City", held his engagement ceremony.  

Khusanov did not participate in the national team’s training session that day, as he was engaged in what is commonly referred to as a “Marry me” ceremony. The event was organized in the mountainous regions of the Tashkent region.  

Interestingly, in an interview with journalists on March 18, Khusanov left questions about his wedding unanswered.  

According to reports, his wedding is scheduled for May 27, and "Manchester City" players and staff may be invited to the grand event.  

As expected, Khusanov attended the training session on March 18, attracting widespread media attention. Reporters flocked to the JAR stadium to interview him. You may have seen Khusanov's so-called "boisterous" interview—so-called because most of the journalists’ questions were unrelated to the upcoming match. Instead, they focused on his wedding, his groomsmen, and which of his "Manchester City" teammates might attend. It is truly disappointing that some journalists who questioned Khusanov could not even distinguish between the national team and the club.    

Several key players from the Uzbekistan national team—Husniddin Alikulov, Sherzod Nasrullaev, Umarbek Eshmurodov, and Oston Urunov—missed the match against Kyrgyzstan.  

Central defender Husniddin Alikulov, who sustained a nose injury while playing for "Rizespor" in the Turkish Championship, was unable to travel to Tashkent due to his condition. National team coach Temur Kapadze replaced him with "Nasaf" defender Golib Gaybullaev. Additionally, a day before the match, it was announced that another "Nasaf" defender, Sherzod Nasrullaev, had also suffered an injury and would be unavailable. Meanwhile, central defender Umarbek Eshmurodov was suspended after receiving a red card in the previous match against North Korea.  

Oston Urunov, who has yet to fully recover from his injury, was also ruled out of the game. In response, Kapadze called up Al-Wahda winger Khojimat Erkinov as a replacement.  

On March 20, at "Bunyodkor" Stadium in Tashkent, Uzbekistan faced neighboring Kyrgyzstan in the seventh round of the third stage of World Cup qualifiers, securing a hard-fought victory.  

As in previous matches, ticket-related issues arose before the game. Reports and videos circulating online showed evidence of counterfeit and duplicated tickets, leaving many legitimate ticket holders unable to enter the stadium due to overcrowding. This led to disturbances outside the venue.  

The Uzbekistan Football Association (UFA) had previously issued a warning regarding fake tickets.  

"Due to these circumstances, many people were unable to enter the stadium in previous matches. We inform those involved in such fraudulent activities that strict measures will be taken. We urge football fans not to buy tickets from resellers. Those with counterfeit tickets will not be allowed into the stadium," the UFA stated.  

This raises critical questions: How can the sale of fake tickets be eliminated? Which organization is responsible for preventing this? Does the ticketing system need reform? QALAMPIR.UZ has repeatedly reached out to the UFA for clarification. The association stated that all ticket-related matters have been transferred to a third-party ticketing platform. Will this platform take the necessary steps to address the issue?  

The Telegram channel "Samvel Karlenovich" also commented on the controversy.  

"Many ticket holders were unable to enter. Prices were artificially inflated. There is no modern QR code system to detect fake tickets. People still struggle with queuing and entry procedures. This is unacceptable. Imagine those who traveled from afar, including young children and women, only to be turned away! We hope that fans who had legitimate tickets but couldn’t attend the game will receive refunds. If not, this will be a grave mistake, especially in the blessed month of Ramadan," the post stated. 

On March 20, in the third qualifying round for the 2026 World Cup (Asian region), Uzbekistan hosted Kyrgyzstan and secured a 1-0 victory.  

In the 24th minute, Kyrgyzstan’s defender fouled Alijanov inside the penalty area, resulting in a penalty and a red card for the visitor’s player. However, Eldor Shomurodov failed to convert the penalty kick in the 25th minute. Despite this, Uzbekistan continued pressing forward and eventually broke the deadlock in the 40th minute with a goal from Khojiakbar Alijanov.  

Shomurodov found the net again at the start of the second half, but his goal was disallowed for offside.  

With this victory, Uzbekistan now has 16 points in the group stage, solidifying second place. The team’s next match will take place on March 25 in Tehran against Iran.  

In the group’s other match, Iran defeated the UAE 2-0, maintaining its lead with 19 points.  

The "SofaScore" portal released player ratings for the Uzbekistan-Kyrgyzstan match.  

The highest-rated player was Uzbekistan’s defender and goal scorer Khojiakbar Alijanov, who received 8.9 points. He was followed by winger Abbos Fayzullaev, who earned 8 points. 

Uzbekistan national team head coach Temur Kapadze shared his thoughts following the 1-0 victory against Kyrgyzstan.  

"First of all, I would like to congratulate our compatriots on the holiday of Nowruz. The most important thing for us was the victory. We had many chances. If we had scored earlier, the result could have been different. But despite this, Kyrgyzstan played well and defended effectively. Now, we must prepare for the next matches," said Kapadze.  

Although Uzbekistan played against one of the weaker teams in the group and had a numerical advantage for most of the match, the victory was far from convincing. The "Samvel Karlenovich" Telegram channel also provided critical analysis regarding the game and Uzbekistan’s upcoming matches. 

"We maintained the Katanec tactical scheme, but considering how the game unfolded, should there have been an adjustment? At home, playing 11 against 10, was it necessary to keep five defenders? Wouldn’t it have been more effective to bring in Bobur or an attacking midfielder instead of one central defender? The opponent lacked attacking strength, so the approach should have prioritized the team’s success over rigid adherence to a system.  

The reason Katanec initially used five defenders was due to concerns about our central defenders making mistakes against stronger opponents. If one made an error, the other would provide cover. However, such a risk was low in this match. There was also a lack of creativity in attack. The same repetitive plays were seen. One positive aspect of Kapadze's approach was the frequent use of the wings, which proved useful at times. However, apart from Eldor, there was no other creative player in the center, and no new attacking strategies were introduced.  

Additionally, we hope that the relationship between the senior players and Kapadze remains positive. If not, delivering tactical instructions will become even more challenging. The struggle to create clear goal-scoring chances reminded me of the Olympic match against Egypt. Against stronger opponents like Iran and the UAE, failing to convert limited chances could prove costly. Relying solely on crosses may not be a sustainable strategy," the post stated.  

Uzbekistan is now closer than ever to securing a place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The team could potentially book their ticket to the tournament in the upcoming eighth round of the Asian qualifiers.  

On March 25, Kyrgyzstan will host Qatar. Currently, Kyrgyzstan sits in fifth place with three points, while Qatar is fourth with ten points. If Kyrgyzstan manages to defeat Qatar, they will move up to six points, while Qatar remains at ten, failing to climb higher. This would eliminate one of Uzbekistan’s key competitors for qualification.  

Meanwhile, North Korea will host the UAE in another crucial match. North Korea, currently in last place with just two points, will face third-placed UAE, which has ten points. If North Korea manages to defeat the UAE and Uzbekistan secures a positive result in Tehran, Uzbekistan's qualification hopes will significantly improve.  

Should the above scenarios unfold—Kyrgyzstan defeating Qatar and, more importantly, North Korea overcoming the UAE—Uzbekistan’s draw against Iran would be enough to guarantee World Cup qualification. A draw would extend the points gap between Uzbekistan and its competitors to seven, effectively securing their spot in the 2026 tournament in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.  

Predictions and analysis aside, everything remains in Uzbekistan’s hands. A strong performance in the upcoming matches will determine whether Kapadze’s team achieves this historic milestone. 

Temur Kapadze, who previously guided Uzbekistan to the Olympics, has now taken charge of the national team. How do you evaluate his debut? Share your thoughts with us.

On March 21, during the Nowruz celebrations at "New Uzbekistan" Park in Tashkent, Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev met with "Manchester City" defender Abdukodir Khusanov.  

The 21-year-old, accompanied by his father, former player Hikmat Khashimov, presented the president with a signed "Manchester City" jersey.  

It is worth noting that in January, during his visit to the United Arab Emirates, Mirziyoyev met with Sheikh Khalid bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, the UAE's crown prince and owner of "Manchester City", expressing gratitude for Khusanov’s transfer.  

Meanwhile, concerns have been raised about Khusanov’s security and well-being. "Manchester City" fan Dominic Cuomo tagged the Uzbekistan Football Association (UFA) in an Instagram post, criticizing the handling of the young defender.  

“You are partly responsible for the mismanagement of Khusanov’s safety and freedom. In numerous social media videos, he is seen surrounded by large crowds—people he barely knows or does not know at all. This is clearly distracting and unsettling for him. Your responsibility is to ensure that he is in a safe and controlled environment, whether in Uzbekistan or abroad. Respect his privacy, protect his focus, and prioritize his career. This level of mismanagement is unacceptable. Do better,” the post stated.  

Recently, Khusanov has been increasingly involved in various public events, while Uzbek fan groups continue to release content about him, often keeping close track of his movements. Could these distractions ultimately harm his career?  

These were the most significant sports stories of the past week. For more updates, subscribe to the QALAMPIR.UZ sports channel on Telegram. See you next week!