Sports Digest: Khusanov’s historic match, UFA’s new president & a busy week in Uzbek sports

Review

−

22 February visibility12228

A week full of elections and football milestones has unfolded in Uzbek sports. From a change in leadership at the Football Association of Uzbekistan (UFA) to Abdukodir Khusanov making history against Real Madrid, here’s a roundup of the latest sports updates from QALAMPIR.UZ.

State Security Chief Becomes UFA President

The chairman of the State Security Service, Bahodir Kurbanov, has been elected president of the Football Association of Uzbekistan. The election took place during an extraordinary congress held on February 22 at the UFA headquarters.

Kurbanov was unanimously elected to the position, with Uzbekistan’s Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov also attending the event. Previously, this role was held by the former head of the State Security Service, Abdusalom Azizov. Until now, the UFA’s First Vice-President, Ravshan Irmatov, had been acting as the interim head.

Iroda Tulaganova Becomes Deputy Chairman of the Tennis Federation

The Uzbekistan Tennis Federation announced new leadership appointments following an extraordinary election conference on February 20.

Five sports experts were appointed as deputy chairmen, including Uzbek tennis legend Iroda Tulaganova, along with Zelemkhon Haydarov, Numon Sattorov, Aziz Hamidov, and Sardor Kamilov.

"Khusanov Wants to Crush Everyone Because He Comes from a Poor Country" – Petit

Former French national team and Chelsea midfielder Emmanuel Petit shared his thoughts on Uzbek defender Abdukodir Khusanov’s performance. Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, Petit highlighted Khusanov’s determination and playing style.

"Abduoadir is a very fast and aggressive player. He is a nightmare for attackers. His strengths are his aggression and speed. This guy wants to crush everyone because he came from a poor country with great difficulty," Petit remarked.

Khusanov Becomes Second Youngest Player to Face Real Madrid

Manchester City and Uzbekistan national team defender Abdukodir Khusanov made history as one of the youngest players to ever debut against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League, according to Opta.

At just 20 years and 356 days old, Khusanov became the second youngest player to make his Champions League debut against the Spanish giants. The record belongs to Kaan Ayhan, who played against Madrid for Schalke in 2014 at 19 years and 128 days.

On the night of February 20, Real Madrid secured a 3-1 victory over Manchester City in the second leg of the European Champions League playoffs. Despite the defeat, Khusanov played the entire 90 minutes, showing resilience against one of the best teams in the world. Madrid had also won the first match 3-2, progressing to the next round with a 6-3 aggregate score.

Champions League Quarter-Final Draw: Real Madrid to Face Atletico, Barcelona vs. Benfica

The UEFA Champions League quarter-final draw took place on February 21, setting up exciting matchups for the next stage of the tournament.

Here are the full results of the draw: