Post by Suhas Bhokare

‘Nearly men of Asian football’ – Uzbekistan’s rise to the World Cup Manchester City signed Uzbekistan defender Abdukodir Khusanov in January 2025 from Lens for a fee worth £34m. A relatively unknown 20-year-old at the time, Khusanov's stature in the City side and in the Premier League means he is already the face of Uzbekistani football. But paving the way for Khusanov, now 21, was Server Djeparov - the only Uzbek to be crowned Asian footballer of the year....