Silk Road Strikers

Central Asian soccer has emerged from a long winter and this spring looks to have its first World Cup qualifier.

On 26 March, Uzbekistan overcame a persistent effort from an undermanned Lebanese side, using a goal from Server Djeparov in the 63rd minute to take three points, further strengthening its bid to become the first Central Asian national team to qualify for the World Cup. 

With two matches left, one in Seoul against 2002 quarterfinalists South Korea and the other against Qatar, a side that has drawn twice with regional power Iran, the outcome of this World Cup qualifier is still much in doubt, but with a four-point cushion, Uzbekistan can start to cautiously look forward to Brazil.

For many, Uzbekistan’s success in the 2014 qualifiers has come out of nowhere, but David McArdle, whose Futbolgrad.com reports on issues in the post-Soviet space through stories about soccer, attributes the success of the Uzbek side to investments made in the national league, an expansion in the number of national teams allowed to qualify for international competitions like the World Cup, and a relatively easy route to qualification, which saved Uzbekistan from the fate of Kazakhstan. “Had Uzbekistan been in Kazakhstan’s European section group consisting of Germany, Austria, Sweden, and Ireland, their chances of qualifying would have been significantly smaller,” McArdle told me.
 
These caveats about the success of the 2012 team have led to speculation about the ultimate sustainability of Uzbek soccer in international play. Despite the national team’s lackluster international reputation, Uzbekistan’s large population, long-standing tradition of organized soccer dating back to the 1920s, passionate fan base, and both official and under-the-table governmental support could help it retain its strength in qualifiers and its ability to contend in international competition in the future.

The future, of course, is on the minds of many observers and residents of Uzbekistan right now: the question of who will succeed the country’s elderly, authoritarian ruler, in power since the disintegration of the Soviet Union, touches on every aspect of Uzbek society. Soccer is no exception, and the important role of the government in shaping the success of the national team will no doubt be affected by the transition. 

While many names have been floated as potential successors to Islam Karimov, it could be worthwhile for outsiders to remember names like Djeparov and to keep an eye on the outcomes of the next two matches in Seoul and Tashkent in June. With no clear succession plan in place, Tashkent might find itself with its own Vitaly Klitschko, the boxing champion who has become Ukraine’s most popular opposition leader.

This piece was originally published on Transitions Online.