AFC Cup 2021: Know ATK Mohun Bagan's opponents FC Nasaf

A place in the inter-zone play-off final is up for grabs in this year's AFC Cup as ATK Mohun Bagan face a stern test against 2011 champions FC Nasaf Qarshi at the Markaziy Stadium on Wednesday. Here's everything you need to know about the Uzbek side.

Asian Pedigree

Nicknamed the Dragons, Nasaf's first-ever title was their AFC Cup triumph in 2011 when they beat Al-Kuwait in the final. In the group stage, they notoriously thrashed Dempo 9-0 at home and 4-0 in Pune in their only ever previous encounters against Indian opposition.

With Uzbekistan getting a direct group stage slot for the AFC Cup this year, Nasaf have returned to the competition for the first time in 10 years courtesy of finishing runners-up in the 2020 Uzbekistan Super League.

In their debut season on the continental stage, Nasaf reached the semi-finals of the Asian Club Championship in 2002. In the previous decade, the Dragons have played in the AFC Champions League group stage four times (2012, 2015, 2016 and 2018) but have never qualified for the knockout stage.

Most recently in 2018, Nasaf finished third behind Persepolis and Al-Sadd with three wins and 10 points, their best showing in the ACL-era.

FC Nasaf in the 2021 AFC Cup

Nasaf have arguably been the most impressive side in the AFC Cup this year. They kicked off their group stage campaign back in May in Tajikistan with a 4-0 win over Kyrgyz side Alay Osh followed by a 3-0 success against hosts Khujand.

The Uzbek side sealed passage to the Central Asia Zone final with a solid 2-0 victory over 2018 AFC Cup finalists Altyn Asyr of Turkmenistan.

In the zonal final last month, Nasaf hosted Turkmen opposition again in the form of Ahal FK. After leading 2-0 at half-time, Nasaf allowed Ahal to draw level in the second half with two goals in the space of 10 minutes.

However, Khusayin Norchaev's 76th minute penalty restored Nasaf's lead. The Dragons held on for the win and booked a meeting with ATK Mohun Bagan in the Inter-zone semi-final.

FC Nasaf's style of play and current form

Nasaf are known to be an aggressively attacking side. Manager Ruziqul Berdiev mostly deploys a 4-2-3-1 and places an emphasis on going forward down the wings. With 27 goals in 18 matches, the Dragons are the third-highest scorers in the 2021 Uzbekistan Super League so far.

Nasaf are currently 4th and four points away from second position, which would give them a standby place in the 2022 AFC Cup.

Since beating Ahal in the Central Asia Zone final last month, Nasaf have won two of their three league matches. A 1-0 defeat to Navbahor was followed by wins over Turon and Qizilqum after the international break.

Nasaf do depend a lot on their home support. 19 out of their 27 goals this season have come at the Markaziy Stadium, the most home goals by any team in the league.

FC Nasaf manager and key players

Ruziqul Berdiev is a highly experienced and well-respected manager in Uzbekistan. Having spent the last 24 years as a player and coach at Nasaf, it's fair to say he is a club legend.

Berdiev was the assistant to Anatoliy Demyanenko when Nasaf won the AFC Cup in 2011. He was promoted to head coach in 2012 and led the Dragons to their first-ever Uzbek Cup title in 2015. Berdiev was also the interim manager of the Uzbekistan national team in 2017.

The most important players in the Nasaf team are Khusayin Norchaev, Marko Stanojević and Umar Eshmurodov. Norchaev, only 19, is the club's top-scorer this season in all competitions with 11 goals, three of them in the AFC Cup.

Serbian midfielder Stanojević has scored 8 goals and is the engine of the team. He is one of the two foreigners in the squad, the other is a familiar name to Indian football fans - former Delhi Dynamos striker, Andrija Kaluđerović who made 12 appearances in the 2018-19 ISL.

Captain and centre-back Eshmurodov is the leader in defense and an Uzbek international.

Nasaf have a fairly young squad with an average age of just 23.4 years. That's mainly thanks to their amazing youth setup regarded as one of the best in the country.

Young full-backs Dilshod Saitov and Sherzod Nasrullaev are indispensable in attack. Nasrullaev, an excellent crosser, is the assist-leader of the AFC Cup with four assists. Defender Husniddin Aliqulov and winger Oybek Bozorov have already been capped for the Uzbek national side.

ATK Mohun Bagan will have their work cut out if they are to emerge victorious in Qarshi. Nasaf's home advantage, great form, attacking prowess and youthfulness make them favorites on paper for this tie.