Uzbekistan head to Saudi Arabia as reigning Asian champions. Here are the key players, rising prospects and tactical notes ahead of the AFC U17 Asian Cup. Bekhzod Khamdamov, author of the Telegram channel futbol_thoughts, analysed the squad and shared his expectations for Eurasia Football.
Saudi Arabia will host the next AFC U17 Asian Cup from 5 May. Uzbekistan will arrive as the holders after winning the tournament in 2025. Head coach Sergey Chigodaev has already named an extended squad for the competition.
In recent years, Uzbekistan has become a more visible market for foreign scouts. The rise of Abdukodir Khusanov and Eldor Shomurodov, along with the senior national team’s progress, has increased interest in the country’s young players. The AFC U17 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia offers a good chance to see the next generation of Uzbek football.
Uzbekistan U17 enter the tournament as the reigning Asian champions. In April 2025, the team coached by Islom Ismoilov won a dramatic final against hosts Saudi Arabia. Uzbekistan finished the match with nine men but still claimed a 2–0 victory.
That is why expectations are high again. The current squad includes players who have already made their Uzbekistan Super League debuts, footballers regularly playing in the Uzbekistan U21 Championship, and several members of last year’s Asian title-winning team.
Below is a detailed look at Uzbekistan’s U17 squad for the tournament.
Goalkeepers
Olim Shomurodov — Pakhtakor
Olim Shomurodov is Uzbekistan U17’s first-choice goalkeeper. He represents Pakhtakor. In 2025, he played six matches for Pakhtakor U19.
Abdulboriy Zoidjonov — Lokomotiv
Abdulboriy Zoidjonov only started being called up to Chigodaev’s team in 2026. In 2025, he mostly played for Lokomotiv Farm, the club’s reserve team, and was later involved with the first team toward the end of the season.
Mehroj Sirojiddinov — Republican Football Academy
Sirojiddinov joined the Republican Football Academy this season. Before that, he played for Navoi Football Academy and made one appearance each in the Uzbekistan First League and the Uzbekistan Cup.
It is not easy for young goalkeepers to receive regular playing time at club level, so the lack of serious senior-level experience among Uzbekistan’s U17 goalkeepers is not unusual.
Centre-backs
Muhammad Hakimov — Bunyodkor
Muhammad Hakimov is only 16 — he will turn 17 in November — but has already attracted attention from foreign scouts. He is also considered the captain of Uzbekistan U17.
It was Hakimov who converted the penalty in the final of the 2025 AFC U17 Asian Cup. According to reports, French club Lens have shown interest in him and were ready to consider signing him once he turns 18.
In 2026, Hakimov unexpectedly moved from Pakhtakor to Bunyodkor. The move appears to have been motivated by the search for more playing time. He is already training with Bunyodkor’s first team and regularly appears in the matchday squad for Uzbekistan Super League games.
He has not yet made his Super League debut, but has already played three matches in the Uzbekistan U21 Championship.
Mirjamol Anvarov — Akhmedov Academy
Mirjamol Anvarov is the captain of Akhmedov Academy’s 2009-born team. In 2025, he made 15 appearances in the Uzbekistan First League for Akhmedov Academy and also helped the team reach the final of the Uzbekistan FA U16 Championship.
In the 2026 season, Anvarov has already played one match in the First League and two matches in the Uzbekistan Cup qualifying rounds.
Muhammadaziz Ruziboev — Gazalkent
Ruziboev is a product of Bunyodkor’s academy. In 2025, he played five matches for Bunyodkor U19.
This season, the tall centre-back — he is 192 cm — moved to the re-established Gazalkent club. He has already started in the first two rounds of the Uzbekistan Pro League. He has also started to attract interest from foreign scouts.
Elsevar Olimov — Neftchi
Elsevar Olimov spent the 2025 season with Zamin before moving to Neftchi this year. He is now a regular starter for Neftchi’s U21 side.
So far, Olimov has made six appearances for Neftchi U21 and scored one goal. He missed two matches because of Uzbekistan U17 training camps.
Mashkhur Abdisoliev — Nasaf
Abdisoliev is a product of Nasaf’s academy. In 2025, he made 11 appearances in the Uzbekistan First League for Nasaf’s youth side.
In 2026, the defender took part in winter training camps with the first team and played in friendlies against Yenisey and Zwickau. Since the start of the official season, he has not yet made an appearance.
Full-backs
Adis Abdunabiev — Oqtepa
Adis Abdunabiev plays as a right-back. He has made seven appearances for Oqtepa in the Uzbekistan First League and the Uzbekistan Cup.
For Chigodaev’s national team, Abdunabiev almost always starts on the right side of defence.
Abubakir Rakhimov — Akhmedov Academy
Rakhimov is a left-back. Like his other Akhmedov Academy teammates, he played 15 matches in the Uzbekistan First League in 2025.
This season, he has already made two appearances in the Uzbekistan Cup qualifying rounds and one in the First League. Abdunabiev and Rakhimov are considered Chigodaev’s first-choice full-backs.
Nurmuhammad Uktamov — Pakhtakor Farm
Uktamov is a left-back. He plays for Pakhtakor Farm, the club’s reserve team, in the Uzbekistan Pro League and started the first two rounds of the season.
One interesting detail: before this, Uktamov had never been called up to Uzbekistan’s U16 or U17 camps, but went straight into the Asian Cup squad.
Mironshoh Eshpulatov — Republican Football Academy
Last season, Eshpulatov played for the youth team of Dinamo Samarkand in the U19 championship. He is a right-back.
This year, he joined the Republican Football Academy and has already made his Uzbekistan First League debut.
At the Development Cup in Minsk, Eshpulatov came off the bench in the third-place match against Kazakhstan U17 and scored late in the game. That goal helped Uzbekistan complete a comeback and win the match.
Central and attacking midfielders
Muhammad Mamatov — Pakhtakor Farm
Mamatov is playing for Pakhtakor Farm in the Uzbekistan Pro League this season. He started in the first two rounds.
Islom Ravshanov — Pakhtakor Farm
Ravshanov is also a Pakhtakor Farm player. In 2025, he won the Uzbekistan FA U16 Championship with Pakhtakor’s 2009-born team. That side also included Mamatov, Uktamov, Haitmurodov, and, at the time, Muhammad Hakimov and Sukhrob Sadirjonov.
In recent Uzbekistan U17 matches, the Mamatov–Ravshanov pairing has been a stable option in central midfield.
Mirkomil Murodov — Bunyodkor
Mirkomil Murodov is already familiar to those who follow the Uzbekistan Super League. In 2025, he became the youngest player to make his debut in the competition.
Murodov is one of the leaders of the current Uzbekistan U17 team. He can play both as a central midfielder and an attacking midfielder.
At the Development Cup in February, Sergey Chigodaev used Murodov closer to the attack. He scored impressive goals against Azerbaijan and Russia.
At Bunyodkor, Murodov is already making the first-team matchday squad for Super League games. He has also played two matches in the Uzbekistan U21 Championship.
Odilkhon Orifkhonov — Akhmedov Academy
Orifkhonov represents Akhmedov Academy. In 2025, he played 14 matches in the Uzbekistan First League and scored two goals.
Amirkhon Erkinov — Akhmedov Academy
Erkinov plays as an attacking midfielder. Under Chigodaev, he has made 18 appearances in total for the U16 and U17 national teams.
At the Development Cup, Erkinov recorded an assist against Azerbaijan.
Wingers
Sukhrob Sadirjonov — Gazalkent
Sadirjonov is a product of Pakhtakor’s academy. In 2025, he had already caught the attention of the Uzbek football community and received the “Discovery of the Year” award from the Tashkent Football Association.
In order to gain more senior football experience and playing time, Sadirjonov moved to Gazalkent on loan this season. In the opening round of the Uzbekistan Pro League, he provided two assists.
Sadirjonov is considered one of the leaders of Uzbekistan U17. In March, he confirmed that status again by scoring twice in a friendly against Morocco U17.
A physically strong, tall and fast winger, Sadirjonov could become one of Uzbekistan’s standout players at the Asian Cup in May.
Akhrorbek Ravshanbekov — Andijan
Ravshanbekov is a left-footed winger — a type of player that has become less common in Uzbek football in recent years. Thanks to his speed and shooting ability, he regularly creates danger for opponents.
At the Development Cup, the introductions of Sadirjonov and Ravshanbekov against Kazakhstan U17 changed the game. Uzbekistan eventually won after a comeback. It was Ravshanbekov who delivered the corner for Eshpulatov’s third goal.
Akhror is also getting playing time for Andijan U21. He has made four appearances this season.
Jahongirmirzo Uktamboev — Bunyodkor
Like Hakimov, Uktamboev moved from Pakhtakor to Bunyodkor this season. He has already made one substitute appearance for Bunyodkor U21.
Chigodaev did not call Jahongirmirzo up for the November and January camps, but gave him another chance at the Development Cup in February. Uktamboev used that opportunity well and earned his place in the Asian Cup squad.
Farrukh Haitmurodov — Pakhtakor Farm
Haitmurodov played for Pakhtakor in the U19 championship and the Uzbekistan First League in 2025. In total, he made 20 appearances during the season.
This season, he is playing for Pakhtakor Farm in the Uzbekistan Pro League.
Forwards
Laziz Abduraimov — Bunyodkor Farm
Laziz Abduraimov represents the well-known Abduraimov football family. He currently plays for Bunyodkor Farm, the club’s reserve side, in the Uzbekistan First League.
He has the qualities of a classic centre-forward: strength, height and a powerful shot. At the moment, Abduraimov is the main striker for Uzbekistan U17, partly because of Asilbek Aliev’s suspension.
Uzbekistan’s main attacking hopes in the group stage will be linked to Laziz. In 2026, he has played nine matches for Chigodaev’s U17 team and scored five goals.
Asilbek Aliev — Republican Football Academy
Asilbek Aliev is another reigning Asian champion. In 2025, he was the top scorer of the AFC U17 Asian Cup.
However, because of the red card he received at the FIFA U17 World Cup, Aliev will miss all three group-stage matches against Australia, DPR Korea and India.
Last year, his powerful shots were one of the important factors behind Uzbekistan’s success. They would have been useful for the team at this tournament as well.
At the start of the season, it was reported that Asilbek had moved to Andijan. However, due to the limit on the number of loan players from one club — Rustamjonov, Sodiqov and Aliev belong to Akhmedov Academy — he had to leave the team and joined the Republican Football Academy under Jamoliddin Rakhmatullaev.
At the Development Cup in Belarus, Chigodaev also tested Aliev on the left wing. In some phases, the team switched to a 4-4-2 formation with Abduraimov and Aliev playing together up front.
If Asilbek can regain the form he showed at the 2025 Asian Cup, he could significantly strengthen Uzbekistan in the knockout rounds. That is why his inclusion in the squad looks understandable, even despite the three-match suspension.
Rustam Aliev — Surkhon
Rustam Aliev began playing for Surkhon U21 during the 2025 season.
This year, he is again receiving regular playing time in the Uzbekistan U21 Championship. So far, Aliev has made five appearances and scored one goal.
Playing style and possible formation
Sergey Chigodaev usually uses either a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 system and builds an attacking team. Uzbekistan U17 looked quite convincing at the Development Cup, apart from a few simple mistakes by defenders and the goalkeeper.
With Muhammad Hakimov back in the squad, and considering that the team’s defenders are regularly playing in the Uzbekistan First League, Uzbekistan Pro League and Uzbekistan U21 Championship, the defensive line should look more reliable.
The likely starting line-up for the first matches could be based on a 4-2-3-1 formation. The extended squad includes 24 players, but only 23 will make the final Asian Cup list.
Given that there are five centre-backs in the squad, and Hakimov and Anvarov are regarded as the main defensive pairing, it is possible that one of Ruziboev, Olimov or Abdisoliev will miss out on the final list.
Uzbekistan’s group at the AFC U17 Asian Cup
Uzbekistan U17 were drawn into Group D. Their opponents will be Australia, India and DPR Korea.
Uzbekistan will play their opening match on 6 May against DPR Korea.
Earlier, Alisher Nikimbayev wrote that under certain conditions Uzbekistan could be placed in Pot 1 for the FIFA U17 World Cup draw. To do that, the team would need to reach at least the quarter-finals of the Asian Cup, while two teams ranked above Uzbekistan would have to fail to qualify for the World Cup. However, such a scenario looks unlikely.
Uzbekistan U17 enter the tournament with a strong generation, several players already gaining experience in senior football, and the status of reigning Asian champions. The main task now is to confirm that level on the pitch.