18 Nov 2027
Thursday
Process
68 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

15 Nov 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Farrux Jo'rayev gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Market

Experience through the door at Qizilqum

Singnkhi Mpedi arrives at 35 with nothing left to prove and plenty left to pass on. Legs are a young man's currency; knowing where to stand never ages.

Market

Qizilqum put Islom Kenjaboyev up for sale

The list is a quiet document with a loud meaning. Islom Kenjaboyev may talk to anybody who asks, and everybody at the club understands what that means.

In brief

Back issues
67 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

8 Nov 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Boardroom

95% of the income goes out in wages at Qizilqum

Every club in football pays most of what it earns to its players. Paying nearly all of it is a different arrangement, and it has ended the same way every time somebody has tried it.

Squad

Diyor Rahmatullayev gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Market

Nikola Kumburović linked with a move away

The name of Nikola Kumburović keeps appearing in other people's back pages. Qizilqum say nothing, which says plenty.

In brief

66 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

1 Nov 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Islom Kenjaboyev hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Qizilqum can pretend not to have heard.

Market

Asilbek Tojiddinov has one foot out of the door

Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Qizilqum they have already started talking about him in the past tense.

Squad

Suhrob Eshboyev gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Market

Qizilqum and Asilbek Tojiddinov are talking past each other

“There is a gap, and pretending there is not helps nobody.” Neither side has moved, and the calendar is working for exactly one of them.

Squad

Jaba Jighauri has company in his position

The competition arrived without a word said to him about it. Jaba Jighauri keeps the shirt for now, at Qizilqum's convenience rather than his own.

Market

The Shahzod Rahmatullayev talk will not go away

Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Qizilqum know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.

In brief

65 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

25 Oct 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Diyor Rahmatullayev is on his way

The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Qizilqum is pretending he will be back in the shirt.

Squad

Somebody is after Jaba Jighauri’s shirt

A new face in his position, and Jaba Jighauri suddenly has to win back what he thought he owned. Qizilqum have promised nothing — clubs rarely do at this stage.

Market

Oleksiy Shchebetun linked with a move away

The name of Oleksiy Shchebetun keeps appearing in other people's back pages. Qizilqum say nothing, which says plenty.

Squad

Fayzullobek Jumanqo'ziyev asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

Market

Abrorjon Aliyev joins Qizilqum on a free

No fee and no drama: Abrorjon Aliyev has signed at Qizilqum, and the wage bill is the only line that moved.

Market

Arlyansyah Abdulmanan joins Qizilqum on a free

No fee and no drama: Arlyansyah Abdulmanan has signed at Qizilqum, and the wage bill is the only line that moved.

In brief

64 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

18 Oct 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Diyor Rahmatullayev: that is not what I was promised

“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Qizilqum have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Squad

Farrux Jo'rayev gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Squad

Nikola Kumburović has company in his position

The competition arrived without a word said to him about it. Nikola Kumburović keeps the shirt for now, at Qizilqum's convenience rather than his own.

In brief

63 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

11 Oct 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Nikola Kumburović linked with a move away

The name of Nikola Kumburović keeps appearing in other people's back pages. Qizilqum say nothing, which says plenty.

Squad

Somebody is after Nikola Kumburović’s shirt

A new face in his position, and Nikola Kumburović suddenly has to win back what he thought he owned. Qizilqum have promised nothing — clubs rarely do at this stage.

Market

Qizilqum pick up Aleksandr Zevadinov for nothing

The best deals are the ones the accountants never notice. Aleksandr Zevadinov arrives at Qizilqum with his wages the only cost and something to prove the only clause.

In brief

62 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

4 Oct 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Islom Kenjaboyev hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Qizilqum can pretend not to have heard.

Market

Asilbek Tojiddinov has one foot out of the door

Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Qizilqum they have already started talking about him in the past tense.

Squad

Jaba Jighauri stays put

“The easiest signature of my career.” Jaba Jighauri and Qizilqum agree another 2 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.

Boardroom

Wages eat 87% of everything Qizilqum earn

There is a figure at which a wage bill stops being ambitious and becomes the reason nothing else is possible, and this club has reached it. Nothing is left over for a transfer, a stand or a rainy afternoon.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Diyor Rahmatullayev

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Market

The Shahzod Rahmatullayev talk will not go away

Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Qizilqum know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.

In brief

61 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

27 Sep 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Diyor Rahmatullayev is on his way

The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Qizilqum is pretending he will be back in the shirt.

Match

Qizilqum see off Mashal

Three points for Qizilqum, 1-0 the final word against Mashal in a contest settled by the finer margins.

Squad

Asilbek Tojiddinov gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Market

Islom Kenjaboyev placed on the list

Qizilqum have made Islom Kenjaboyev available for transfer. A career at this club is over in all but paperwork.

Market

Oleksiy Shchebetun linked with a move away

The name of Oleksiy Shchebetun keeps appearing in other people's back pages. Qizilqum say nothing, which says plenty.

Squad

Bobomurod Bozorov asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

In brief

60 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

20 Sep 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Match

Qizilqum tear Shortan apart

Rarely has this fixture seen a display like it: 3-0 against Shortan, and it could have been more.

Squad

Asror G'ofurov gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Squad

Shahzod Rahmatullayev is carrying Qizilqum

4 goals and a season average of 7.21. Form like that gets noticed well beyond this town.

Squad

Islom Kenjaboyev wants a proper job in this side

Shifted about, taken off before the hour, asked to do somebody else's running — Islom Kenjaboyev has had enough of being useful and would like to be picked. Qizilqum know, and have known for weeks.

Squad

Humoyunshoh Sayyotov asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

Market

The Fayzullobek Jumanqo'ziyev talk will not go away

Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Qizilqum know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.

In brief

59 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

13 Sep 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Match

No end in sight to Qizilqum's wait for a win

7 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at Qizilqum has to find a result from somewhere.

Squad

Fayzullobek Jumanqo'ziyev gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Squad

Islom Kenjaboyev asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

Match

Qizilqum draw a blank against Obod

The crowd waited for a goal that never came. Obod defended in numbers and left with what they came for, and the two sides could be playing still without troubling a scorer.

Market

Nikola Kumburović linked with a move away

The name of Nikola Kumburović keeps appearing in other people's back pages. Qizilqum say nothing, which says plenty.

Market

Window shut, Bobomurod Bozorov still here

Qizilqum spent the window trying to move Bobomurod Bozorov on and nobody came. He trains with a squad that has already told him he is not part of it, and both sides now wait for the next one.

In brief

58 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

6 Sep 2027
From our football correspondent Crisis

Match

No end in sight to Qizilqum's wait for a win

6 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at Qizilqum has to find a result from somewhere.

Squad

Diyor Rahmatullayev: that is not what I was promised

“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Qizilqum have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Market

Asilbek Tojiddinov has one foot out of the door

Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Qizilqum they have already started talking about him in the past tense.

Match

Navbahor take the points off Qizilqum

Beaten 1-2, and beaten fairly. The manager kept his words short afterwards, which was probably wise.

Squad

Grigol Chabradze gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Boardroom

Wages eat 91% of everything Qizilqum earn

There is a figure at which a wage bill stops being ambitious and becomes the reason nothing else is possible, and this club has reached it. Nothing is left over for a transfer, a stand or a rainy afternoon.

Squad

Islom Kenjaboyev knocks on the manager's door

“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Qizilqum, and both men came out saying it was fine.

Squad

Oleksiy Shchebetun finally opens his account

He wheeled away like a man who had been carrying it for months, because he had. Qizilqum have their signing off the mark and one press-conference question retired.

Market

Qizilqum and Asilbek Tojiddinov are talking past each other

“There is a gap, and pretending there is not helps nobody.” Neither side has moved, and the calendar is working for exactly one of them.

In brief

57 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

30 Aug 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Match

No end in sight to Qizilqum's wait for a win

5 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at Qizilqum has to find a result from somewhere.

Market

Diyor Rahmatullayev is on his way

The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Qizilqum is pretending he will be back in the shirt.

Squad

Nikola Kumburović gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Match

Honours even between Qizilqum and Bukhara

1-1, and both dressing rooms will call it two points lost. A draw that asked plenty of questions and answered none of them.

Squad

Muhammadbobur Mo'ydinov asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

Market

Islom Kenjaboyev placed on the list

Qizilqum have made Islom Kenjaboyev available for transfer. A career at this club is over in all but paperwork.

In brief

56 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

23 Aug 2027
From our football correspondent Crisis

Match

No end in sight to Qizilqum's wait for a win

4 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at Qizilqum has to find a result from somewhere.

Match

Qizilqum come up short against Andijon

Andijon left with the points after a 0-2 defeat that will take some explaining on the terraces.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Farhod Rahmatov

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

The terraces

The spotlight tightens on Shohruz Norxonov

Every touch is being weighed now, in print and everywhere else. Some players grow into that and some are quietly ruined by it, and nobody knows which in advance.

Squad

Farrux Jo'rayev asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

Squad

Somebody is after Asror G'ofurov’s shirt

A new face in his position, and Asror G'ofurov suddenly has to win back what he thought he owned. Qizilqum have promised nothing — clubs rarely do at this stage.

Market

The Fayzullobek Jumanqo'ziyev talk will not go away

Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Qizilqum know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.

Market

Sulton Rahmatov leaves Qizilqum for nothing

No fee, no negotiation, no argument: Sulton Rahmatov moves on to another club with his contract settled and the wage bill a little lighter.

Market

Mustaqim Boboqulov leaves for nothing

Contract settled, hands shaken, no fee changing hands. Mustaqim Boboqulov leaves Qizilqum the quiet way, and the wage bill breathes a little easier.

In brief

55 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

16 Aug 2027
From our football correspondent Crisis

Market

Islom Kenjaboyev asks to leave Qizilqum

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Market

Farrux Jo'rayev comes home

The shirt still fits. Farrux Jo'rayev is back at Qizilqum, and half the ground remembers him in these colours already. Some signings need selling to the town; this one sold itself.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Shohruz Norxonov

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Match

Qizilqum come up short against Pakhtakor

Pakhtakor left with the points after a 0-1 defeat that will take some explaining on the terraces.

Squad

Farrux Jo'rayev signs a new deal

“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Farrux Jo'rayev commits to Qizilqum for another 3 years.

Market

Nikola Kumburović linked with a move away

The name of Nikola Kumburović keeps appearing in other people's back pages. Qizilqum say nothing, which says plenty.

In brief

54 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

9 Aug 2027
From our football correspondent Crisis

Market

Asilbek Tojiddinov has one foot out of the door

Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Qizilqum they have already started talking about him in the past tense.

Match

A bad afternoon for Qizilqum against Kokand 1912

0-1 to Kokand 1912, and no complaints worth printing. The performance asked for nothing more than it got.

Squad

Grigol Chabradze gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Market

The Shahzod Rahmatullayev talk will not go away

Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Qizilqum know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.

Squad

Dilshodbek Sharofiddinov asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

Market

Farrux Jo'rayev leaves Qizilqum for nothing

No fee, no negotiation, no argument: Farrux Jo'rayev moves on to another club with his contract settled and the wage bill a little lighter.

In brief

53 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

2 Aug 2027
From our football correspondent Crisis

Market

Diyor Rahmatullayev is on his way

The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Qizilqum is pretending he will be back in the shirt.

Squad

Nikola Kumburović gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Match

Qizilqum come up short against Lokomotiv

Lokomotiv left with the points after a 0-1 defeat that will take some explaining on the terraces.

Squad

Grigol Chabradze knocks on the manager's door

“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Qizilqum, and both men came out saying it was fine.

Market

Talks stall between Qizilqum and Asilbek Tojiddinov

“We are a long way apart, and pretending otherwise helps nobody.” Neither side is close, and the calendar is not on the club's side.

Squad

Jaba Jighauri unhappy with how he is being used

Asked to play a role that is not his, or taken off before the hour once too often — Jaba Jighauri has let it be known that he does not like the way Qizilqum are using him. Managers hear this long before the press does.

In brief

52 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

26 Jul 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Match

Qizilqum see off AGMK

Three points for Qizilqum, 1-0 the final word against AGMK in a contest settled by the finer margins.

Squad

The manager makes an example of G'iyosjon Rizaqulov

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Squad

Suhrob Eshboyev asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

In brief

51 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

19 Jul 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Market

Islom Kenjaboyev asks to leave Qizilqum

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Match

6 matches without a win for Qizilqum

The run now stands at 6, and the questions being asked around Qizilqum are no longer polite ones.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Shohruz Norxonov

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Match

Qizilqum and Bunyodkor cancel each other out

Nil-nil, and few chances worth the name. Bunyodkor came to defend and left with exactly what they came for.

Market

Nikola Kumburović linked with a move away

The name of Nikola Kumburović keeps appearing in other people's back pages. Qizilqum say nothing, which says plenty.

Squad

Fayzullobek Jumanqo'ziyev asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

In brief

50 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

12 Jul 2027
From our football correspondent Crisis

Squad

A one-man rearguard from Farhod Rahmatov

There were 7 saves in it, and at least three that had no business being saves at all. The ten outfield players owe him a drink and they know it.

Match

5 matches without a win for Qizilqum

The run now stands at 5, and the questions being asked around Qizilqum are no longer polite ones.

Market

Qizilqum sell Akmaljon Muzaffarov for $84.0K

Akmaljon Muzaffarov has left for Nasaf in a $84.0K deal. The accountants are pleased; the supporters are less certain.

Match

Qizilqum come up short against Neftchi

Neftchi left with the points after a 0-1 defeat that will take some explaining on the terraces.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Fayzullobek Jumanqo'ziyev

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Market

The Shahzod Rahmatullayev talk will not go away

Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Qizilqum know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.

In brief

49 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

5 Jul 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Match

4 matches without a win for Qizilqum

The run now stands at 4, and the questions being asked around Qizilqum are no longer polite ones.

Squad

Shahzod Rahmatullayev gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Match

Qizilqum and Sogdiana take a point apiece

It finished 2-2, and it somehow always looked like it would. One of those afternoons where the table moves less than the tempers.

Squad

Islom Kenjaboyev loses the armband

The captaincy has been taken off Islom Kenjaboyev. Qizilqum will call it a decision about the team; a dressing room reads it as a verdict on a man.

Squad

Shahzod Rahmatullayev handed the armband

The captaincy goes to Shahzod Rahmatullayev. It is not a job that wins matches, but a dressing room always notices who is given it.

Market

Oleksiy Shchebetun linked with a move away

The name of Oleksiy Shchebetun keeps appearing in other people's back pages. Qizilqum say nothing, which says plenty.

In brief

48 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

28 Jun 2027
From our football correspondent Crisis

Match

A bad afternoon for Qizilqum against Nasaf

0-2 to Nasaf, and no complaints worth printing. The performance asked for nothing more than it got.

Squad

Costly mistake from Farhod Rahmatov

An error at the back is a moment; an error in goal is a goal. Farhod Rahmatov knows it, the crowd knew it instantly, and there was nobody behind him to make it anything else.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Shahzod Turopov

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

In brief

47 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

21 Jun 2027
From our football correspondent Crisis

Match

Qizilqum out of the cup

Lokomotiv ended it 1-2. The season narrows to the league now, and everyone in the ground knew it before the final whistle.

Market

Islom Kenjaboyev asks to leave Qizilqum

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

The terraces

The boos come down from three sides

“We pay for this every fortnight. The least we want is somebody who looks like he cares.” 10 of the 33 senior players walked off into it; the rest were not playing.

Squad

A one-man rearguard from Farhod Rahmatov

There were 7 saves in it, and at least three that had no business being saves at all. The ten outfield players owe him a drink and they know it.

Market

Qizilqum turn down Nasaf for Kamron Norqulov

The offer was not close and it was refused without much discussion. Whether the second one is refused as quickly is another matter.

Market

The Nasaf deal is off

Everything was agreed until it was not, and Akmaljon Muzaffarov reports back to Qizilqum with a summer to forget. Neither club is saying who walked away from the table.

Squad

Nikola Kumburović gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Match

A bad afternoon for Qizilqum against Metallurg

0-1 to Metallurg, and no complaints worth printing. The performance asked for nothing more than it got.

Squad

A first senior shirt for Doniyor Nematov

Every debut is a small story about the future: Doniyor Nematov, 17 years old, off the academy pitches and into the first team. The parents in the stand will keep the programme.

In brief

46 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

14 Jun 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Dilshodbek Sharofiddinov says Qizilqum went back on their word

“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.

Market

Metallurg come back empty-handed

The bid was some way short and Qizilqum did not need long over it. Nobody in the game reads a first refusal as the end of anything.

Match

Qizilqum see off Mashal

Three points for Qizilqum, 3-1 the final word against Mashal in a contest settled by the finer margins.

Squad

Grigol Chabradze gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Squad

Islom Kenjaboyev wants a proper job in this side

Shifted about, taken off before the hour, asked to do somebody else's running — Islom Kenjaboyev has had enough of being useful and would like to be picked. Qizilqum know, and have known for weeks.

Market

The Shahzod Rahmatullayev talk will not go away

Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Qizilqum know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.

In brief

45 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

7 Jun 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

G'iyosjon Rizaqulov says Qizilqum went back on their word

“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.

Squad

Jaba Jighauri gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Market

Metallurg watching Akmaljon Muzaffarov

The interest is real enough to have reached print. Qizilqum have said nothing, which in a transfer window is its own kind of answer.

Match

Qizilqum see off Shortan

Three points for Qizilqum, 1-0 the final word against Shortan in a contest settled by the finer margins.

The terraces

Everybody has an opinion about Shohruz Norxonov

He is the name in every column and on every phone-in, which is a heavy thing to carry at any age. Some footballers thrive on it; others are quietly finished by it.

Market

Oleksiy Shchebetun linked with a move away

The name of Oleksiy Shchebetun keeps appearing in other people's back pages. Qizilqum say nothing, which says plenty.

Squad

Shahzod Rahmatullayev scores at last

The wait is over, and the relief was visible from the back of the stand. 2 for the season, and the next one always comes easier.

Market

Still no signature from Asilbek Tojiddinov

7 months left and the two sides are nowhere near each other. Every week this drags on takes money off what Qizilqum could get for him.

Squad

Farhod Rahmatov named in the team of the week

A rating of 6.48 was enough for the selectors, and nobody who watched the match is going to argue with them.

In brief

44 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

31 May 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Squad

Farhod Rahmatov keeps Qizilqum in it on his own

Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 6 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.

Match

No end in sight to Qizilqum's wait for a win

4 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at Qizilqum has to find a result from somewhere.

Match

Honours even between Qizilqum and Obod

1-1, and both dressing rooms will call it two points lost. A draw that asked plenty of questions and answered none of them.

In brief

43 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

24 May 2027
From our football correspondent Crisis

Match

Navbahor take the points off Qizilqum

Beaten 0-2, and beaten fairly. The manager kept his words short afterwards, which was probably wise.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Asror G'ofurov

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Market

Nikola Kumburović linked with a move away

The name of Nikola Kumburović keeps appearing in other people's back pages. Qizilqum say nothing, which says plenty.

In brief

42 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

17 May 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

The manager makes an example of Fayzullobek Jumanqo'ziyev

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Squad

Samandar Shukurullayev asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

Match

Qizilqum and Bukhara cancel each other out

Nil-nil, and few chances worth the name. Bukhara came to defend and left with exactly what they came for.

In brief

41 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

10 May 2027
From our football correspondent Crisis

The terraces

The ground has had enough

“We travel everywhere and we get this.” 7 of the 33 senior players heard it walking off, and the ones who did not hear it were not playing.

Squad

Farhod Rahmatov keeps Qizilqum in it on his own

Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 6 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.

Squad

Farrux Jo'rayev: that is not what I was promised

“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Qizilqum have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

In brief

40 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

3 May 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Match

Qizilqum see off Pakhtakor

Three points for Qizilqum, 1-0 the final word against Pakhtakor in a contest settled by the finer margins.

Squad

Suhrob Eshboyev gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Squad

Shahzod Rahmatullayev wants a proper job in this side

Shifted about, taken off before the hour, asked to do somebody else's running — Shahzod Rahmatullayev has had enough of being useful and would like to be picked. Qizilqum know, and have known for weeks.

In brief

39 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

26 Apr 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Squad

The manager makes an example of Shohruz Norxonov

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Match

No goals between Qizilqum and Kokand 1912

Ninety minutes, two goalkeepers with clean gloves, and not one finish worth keeping. Kokand 1912 will be the happier side with the point.

Market

Nikola Kumburović linked with a move away

The name of Nikola Kumburović keeps appearing in other people's back pages. Qizilqum say nothing, which says plenty.

In brief

38 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

19 Apr 2027
From our football correspondent Crisis

Match

Qizilqum come up short against Lokomotiv

Lokomotiv left with the points after a 0-1 defeat that will take some explaining on the terraces.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Muhammadaziz Ibrohimov

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Squad

Shohruz Norxonov knocks on the manager's door

“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Qizilqum, and both men came out saying it was fine.

In brief

37 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

12 Apr 2027
From our football correspondent Upbeat

Match

Qizilqum get the job done against AGMK

A 2-1 win over AGMK, earned rather than given, and the sort of afternoon that sends everyone home talking about next week instead of this one.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Farhod Rahmatov

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

The terraces

The spotlight tightens on Shohruz Norxonov

Every touch is being weighed now, in print and everywhere else. Some players grow into that and some are quietly ruined by it, and nobody knows which in advance.

Squad

Muhammadaziz Ibrohimov is off the mark for Qizilqum

The first one is the one every signing is asked about until it arrives. It has arrived, and he can stop being asked.

Squad

Grigol Chabradze asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

Squad

Isroiljon Tursunboyev is off the mark for Qizilqum

The first one is the one every signing is asked about until it arrives. It has arrived, and he can stop being asked.

In brief

36 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

5 Apr 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Farhod Rahmatov decides it from twelve yards

3 kept out in the shoot-out, and a stadium that will still be describing them in twenty years. A goalkeeper only needs one of these to be remembered forever.

Match

Qizilqum march on in the cup

AGMK are out and Qizilqum go through, 1-1 the final word. The bracket opens up a little, and everyone allows themselves a look at it.

Squad

Muslimbek Habibullayev: that is not what I was promised

“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Qizilqum have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Squad

Qizilqum lose Samandar Shukurullayev

26 days, the medical staff say, and medical staff are optimists by profession. The team sheet will look wrong without him.

Squad

Qizilqum lose Asror G'ofurov

24 days, the medical staff say, and medical staff are optimists by profession. The team sheet will look wrong without him.

Match

A bad afternoon for Qizilqum against Bunyodkor

0-1 to Bunyodkor, and no complaints worth printing. The performance asked for nothing more than it got.

In brief

35 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

29 Mar 2027
From our football correspondent Upbeat

Squad

Farhod Rahmatov keeps Qizilqum in it on his own

Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 6 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.

Squad

Asilbek Tojiddinov: that is not what I was promised

“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Qizilqum have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Squad

Shohruz Norxonov gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

In brief

34 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

22 Mar 2027
From our football correspondent Upbeat

Match

Still nobody has beaten Qizilqum

The unbeaten run reaches 9. Some of them were wins and some were escapes, but a side that refuses to lose is a side other dressing rooms talk about.

Match

Qizilqum see off Sogdiana

Three points for Qizilqum, 2-1 the final word against Sogdiana in a contest settled by the finer margins.

Squad

G'iyosjon Rizaqulov gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Squad

Shahzod Rahmatullayev is off the mark for Qizilqum

The first one is the one every signing is asked about until it arrives. It has arrived, and he can stop being asked.

Market

Shahzod Rahmatullayev linked with a move away

The name of Shahzod Rahmatullayev keeps appearing in other people's back pages. Qizilqum say nothing, which says plenty.

Squad

Farrux Jo'rayev knocks on the manager's door

“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Qizilqum, and both men came out saying it was fine.

In brief

33 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

15 Mar 2027
From our football correspondent Upbeat

Match

Still nobody has beaten Qizilqum

The unbeaten run reaches 8. Some of them were wins and some were escapes, but a side that refuses to lose is a side other dressing rooms talk about.

Match

Qizilqum get the job done against Nasaf

A 1-0 win over Nasaf, earned rather than given, and the sort of afternoon that sends everyone home talking about next week instead of this one.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Ilhomjon Vahobov

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

In brief

32 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

8 Mar 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Qizilqum lose Samandar Shukurullayev

54 days, the medical staff say, and medical staff are optimists by profession. The team sheet will look wrong without him.

Squad

Jaba Jighauri signs a new deal

“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Jaba Jighauri commits to Qizilqum for another 2 years.

Match

Still nobody has beaten Qizilqum

The unbeaten run reaches 7. Some of them were wins and some were escapes, but a side that refuses to lose is a side other dressing rooms talk about.

Squad

Qizilqum lose Asror G'ofurov

52 days, the medical staff say, and medical staff are optimists by profession. The team sheet will look wrong without him.

Market

Doniyor Nematov is a Qizilqum player again

He left as a boy and has come back still knowing where the away end is. Most signings have to be explained to a town; this one needed a photograph and nothing else.

Market

Farhod Nematov comes home

The shirt still fits. Farhod Nematov is back at Qizilqum, and half the ground remembers him in these colours already. Some signings need selling to the town; this one sold itself.

Market

Farhod Nematov comes home

The shirt still fits. Farhod Nematov is back at Qizilqum, and half the ground remembers him in these colours already. Some signings need selling to the town; this one sold itself.

Market

Timur Hasanov is a Qizilqum player again

He left as a boy and has come back still knowing where the away end is. Most signings have to be explained to a town; this one needed a photograph and nothing else.

Squad

Farhod Rahmatov lets one through his hands

A defender's mistake gets tidied up by somebody else; a goalkeeper's ends up in the net. He knew before the ball crossed the line, and so did everybody in the ground.

In brief

31 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

1 Mar 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Humoyunshoh Sayyotov out for 48 days

The medical room confirms 48 days on the sidelines for Humoyunshoh Sayyotov, and a plan built around him now has to be rebuilt.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Fayzullobek Jumanqo'ziyev

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Market

The Nikola Kumburović talk will not go away

Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Qizilqum know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.

In brief

30 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

22 Feb 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Boardroom

89% of the income goes out in wages at Qizilqum

Every club in football pays most of what it earns to its players. Paying nearly all of it is a different arrangement, and it has ended the same way every time somebody has tried it.

Squad

Fayzullobek Jumanqo'ziyev asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

Market

Fayzullobek Jumanqo'ziyev linked with a move away

The name of Fayzullobek Jumanqo'ziyev keeps appearing in other people's back pages. Qizilqum say nothing, which says plenty.

In brief

29 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

15 Feb 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Match

Qizilqum up to position 3

16 points on the board and a place in the leading group. Nobody at the ground is saying the word out loud yet.

Market

The Shahzod Rahmatullayev talk will not go away

Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Qizilqum know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.

Market

Window shut, Farrux Jo'rayev still here

Qizilqum spent the window trying to move Farrux Jo'rayev on and nobody came. He trains with a squad that has already told him he is not part of it, and both sides now wait for the next one.

In brief

28 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

8 Feb 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Murodali Usmonov hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Qizilqum can pretend not to have heard.

Squad

Qizilqum lose Asror G'ofurov

80 days, the medical staff say, and medical staff are optimists by profession. The team sheet will look wrong without him.

Squad

Shohruz Norxonov has company in his position

The competition arrived without a word said to him about it. Shohruz Norxonov keeps the shirt for now, at Qizilqum's convenience rather than his own.

In brief

27 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

1 Feb 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Diyor Rahmatullayev hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Qizilqum can pretend not to have heard.

Market

The Nikola Kumburović talk will not go away

Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Qizilqum know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.

Squad

Somebody is after Shohruz Norxonov’s shirt

A new face in his position, and Shohruz Norxonov suddenly has to win back what he thought he owned. Qizilqum have promised nothing — clubs rarely do at this stage.

In brief

26 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

25 Jan 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Bobomurod Bozorov asks to leave Qizilqum

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Boardroom

Wages eat 116% of everything Qizilqum earn

There is a figure at which a wage bill stops being ambitious and becomes the reason nothing else is possible, and this club has reached it. Nothing is left over for a transfer, a stand or a rainy afternoon.

Squad

Shohruz Norxonov has company in his position

The competition arrived without a word said to him about it. Shohruz Norxonov keeps the shirt for now, at Qizilqum's convenience rather than his own.

Market

Muslimbek Habibullayev arrives on loan

Qizilqum have taken Muslimbek Habibullayev on loan from Navbahor — cover where cover was needed.

Market

Sherzod Komilov arrives on loan

Qizilqum have taken Sherzod Komilov on loan from Obod — cover where cover was needed.

Market

Fayzullobek Jumanqo'ziyev linked with a move away

The name of Fayzullobek Jumanqo'ziyev keeps appearing in other people's back pages. Qizilqum say nothing, which says plenty.

In brief

25 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

18 Jan 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Match

Qizilqum up to position 3

16 points on the board and a place in the leading group. Nobody at the ground is saying the word out loud yet.

Squad

Somebody is after Shohruz Norxonov’s shirt

A new face in his position, and Shohruz Norxonov suddenly has to win back what he thought he owned. Qizilqum have promised nothing — clubs rarely do at this stage.

Market

The Shahzod Rahmatullayev talk will not go away

Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Qizilqum know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.

In brief

24 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

11 Jan 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Asror G'ofurov out for 109 days

The medical room confirms 109 days on the sidelines for Asror G'ofurov, and a plan built around him now has to be rebuilt.

Squad

Fayzullobek Jumanqo'ziyev gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Market

Diyor Rahmatullayev told to find a new club

“They were honest with me, and I would rather know.” Diyor Rahmatullayev has been informed he is not in the manager's thinking at Qizilqum.

In brief

23 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

4 Jan 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Bobomurod Bozorov is free to find somewhere else

“I was told straight, and I would rather have it straight.” The manager at Qizilqum has been clear about where Bobomurod Bozorov stands, which is more than many ever get.

Market

The Nikola Kumburović talk will not go away

Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Qizilqum know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.

Market

Nobody at Qizilqum has picked up the phone to Asilbek Tojiddinov

12 months to run and not a word offered. A club that lets the calendar negotiate for it usually ends up losing to the calendar.

In brief

22 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

28 Dec 2026
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Ilhomjon Kenjayev has one foot out of the door

Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Qizilqum they have already started talking about him in the past tense.

Boardroom

Wages eat 277% of everything Qizilqum earn

There is a figure at which a wage bill stops being ambitious and becomes the reason nothing else is possible, and this club has reached it. Nothing is left over for a transfer, a stand or a rainy afternoon.

Squad

The manager comes out for Ilhomjon Vahobov

Public backing, and the sort that costs a manager something if it turns out to be wrong. Ilhomjon Vahobov has been told in front of everybody that the shirt is his.

21 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

21 Dec 2026
From our football correspondent Steady

Match

Qizilqum up to position 3

16 points on the board and a place in the leading group. Nobody at the ground is saying the word out loud yet.

Market

The G'iyosjon Rizaqulov talk will not go away

Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Qizilqum know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.

Squad

Shahzod Turopov keeps his manager's vote

The message was aimed at the stands as much as the dressing room: Shahzod Turopov plays, and the argument is closed until the manager decides otherwise.

In brief

20 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

14 Dec 2026
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Ilhomjon Kenjayev hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Qizilqum can pretend not to have heard.

Squad

Qizilqum lose Asror G'ofurov

140 days, the medical staff say, and medical staff are optimists by profession. The team sheet will look wrong without him.

Market

Shahzod Rahmatullayev linked with a move away

The name of Shahzod Rahmatullayev keeps appearing in other people's back pages. Qizilqum say nothing, which says plenty.

In brief

19 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

7 Dec 2026
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Shahzod Turopov: that is not what I was promised

“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Qizilqum have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Squad

Shohruz Norxonov out for 34 days

The medical room confirms 34 days on the sidelines for Shohruz Norxonov, and a plan built around him now has to be rebuilt.

Market

The Oleksiy Shchebetun talk will not go away

Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Qizilqum know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.

In brief

18 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

30 Nov 2026
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Ilhomjon Kenjayev has one foot out of the door

Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Qizilqum they have already started talking about him in the past tense.

Squad

Qizilqum lose Islom Kenjaboyev

17 days, the medical staff say, and medical staff are optimists by profession. The team sheet will look wrong without him.

Boardroom

Wages eat 397% of everything Qizilqum earn

There is a figure at which a wage bill stops being ambitious and becomes the reason nothing else is possible, and this club has reached it. Nothing is left over for a transfer, a stand or a rainy afternoon.

In brief

17 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

23 Nov 2026
From our football correspondent Steady

Match

Qizilqum up to position 3

16 points on the board and a place in the leading group. Nobody at the ground is saying the word out loud yet.

Squad

Ilhomjon Vahobov: that is not what I was promised

“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Qizilqum have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Fayzullobek Jumanqo'ziyev

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

In brief

16 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

16 Nov 2026
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Nikola Kumburović says Qizilqum went back on their word

“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.

Market

Shahzod Rahmatullayev linked with a move away

The name of Shahzod Rahmatullayev keeps appearing in other people's back pages. Qizilqum say nothing, which says plenty.

Market

Still no signature from Ilhomjon Kenjayev

2 months left and the two sides are nowhere near each other. Every week this drags on takes money off what Qizilqum could get for him.

In brief

15 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

9 Nov 2026
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Qizilqum lose Shohruz Norxonov

65 days, the medical staff say, and medical staff are optimists by profession. The team sheet will look wrong without him.

Market

The Oleksiy Shchebetun talk will not go away

Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Qizilqum know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.

Market

Ilhomjon Kenjayev placed on the list

Qizilqum have made Ilhomjon Kenjayev available for transfer. A career at this club is over in all but paperwork.

14 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

2 Nov 2026
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Ilhomjon Kenjayev has one foot out of the door

Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Qizilqum they have already started talking about him in the past tense.

Boardroom

Wages eat 397% of everything Qizilqum earn

There is a figure at which a wage bill stops being ambitious and becomes the reason nothing else is possible, and this club has reached it. Nothing is left over for a transfer, a stand or a rainy afternoon.

Squad

The manager comes out for Islom Kenjaboyev

Public backing, and the sort that costs a manager something if it turns out to be wrong. Islom Kenjaboyev has been told in front of everybody that the shirt is his.

In brief

13 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

26 Oct 2026
From our football correspondent Steady

Match

Qizilqum up to position 3

16 points on the board and a place in the leading group. Nobody at the ground is saying the word out loud yet.

Market

Ilhomjon Kenjayev asks to leave Qizilqum

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Market

The G'iyosjon Rizaqulov talk will not go away

Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Qizilqum know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.

12 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

19 Oct 2026
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Sulton Rahmatov out for 29 days

The medical room confirms 29 days on the sidelines for Sulton Rahmatov, and a plan built around him now has to be rebuilt.

Market

Shahzod Rahmatullayev linked with a move away

The name of Shahzod Rahmatullayev keeps appearing in other people's back pages. Qizilqum say nothing, which says plenty.

Squad

Shahzod Turopov asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

In brief

11 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

12 Oct 2026
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Shohruz Norxonov out for 94 days

The medical room confirms 94 days on the sidelines for Shohruz Norxonov, and a plan built around him now has to be rebuilt.

Squad

Oleksiy Shchebetun stays put

“The easiest signature of my career.” Oleksiy Shchebetun and Qizilqum agree another 4 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.

Squad

Humoyunshoh Sayyotov gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

In brief

10 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

5 Oct 2026
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Ilhomjon Kenjayev has one foot out of the door

Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Qizilqum they have already started talking about him in the past tense.

Boardroom

733% of the income goes out in wages at Qizilqum

Every club in football pays most of what it earns to its players. Paying nearly all of it is a different arrangement, and it has ended the same way every time somebody has tried it.

Squad

Tunde Micheal gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

In brief

9 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

28 Sep 2026
From our football correspondent Steady

Match

Qizilqum up to position 3

16 points on the board and a place in the leading group. Nobody at the ground is saying the word out loud yet.

Market

Ilhomjon Kenjayev asks to leave Qizilqum

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Squad

Farhod Rahmatov keeps Qizilqum in it on his own

Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 6 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.

Match

Still nobody has beaten Qizilqum

The unbeaten run reaches 6. Some of them were wins and some were escapes, but a side that refuses to lose is a side other dressing rooms talk about.

Match

Qizilqum get the job done against Mashal

A 2-1 win over Mashal, earned rather than given, and the sort of afternoon that sends everyone home talking about next week instead of this one.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Nikola Kumburović

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Squad

Samandar Shukurullayev is off the mark for Qizilqum

The first one is the one every signing is asked about until it arrives. It has arrived, and he can stop being asked.

Squad

Zulfiqor Akbarov asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

Market

The G'iyosjon Rizaqulov talk will not go away

Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Qizilqum know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.

In brief

8 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

21 Sep 2026
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Match

Qizilqum find a way past Shortan

Shortan made Qizilqum work for it, but the scoreboard read 3-1 at the end and the table does not ask how.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Ilhomjon Kenjayev

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Squad

Nikola Kumburović asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

Squad

Islom Kenjaboyev unhappy with how he is being used

Asked to play a role that is not his, or taken off before the hour once too often — Islom Kenjaboyev has let it be known that he does not like the way Qizilqum are using him. Managers hear this long before the press does.

Market

Shahzod Rahmatullayev linked with a move away

The name of Shahzod Rahmatullayev keeps appearing in other people's back pages. Qizilqum say nothing, which says plenty.

Market

Ilhomjon Kenjayev runs his contract down

3 months remain and no agreement is close. Every week without a signature costs Qizilqum money.

In brief

7 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

14 Sep 2026
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Match

No end in sight to Qizilqum's wait for a win

6 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at Qizilqum has to find a result from somewhere.

Squad

Qizilqum lose Shohruz Norxonov

123 days, the medical staff say, and medical staff are optimists by profession. The team sheet will look wrong without him.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Farhod Rahmatov

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Match

Qizilqum and Obod take a point apiece

It finished 2-2, and it somehow always looked like it would. One of those afternoons where the table moves less than the tempers.

Squad

Jaba Jighauri finally opens his account

He wheeled away like a man who had been carrying it for months, because he had. Qizilqum have their signing off the mark and one press-conference question retired.

Squad

Tunde Micheal knocks on the manager's door

“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Qizilqum, and both men came out saying it was fine.

Market

The Oleksiy Shchebetun talk will not go away

Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Qizilqum know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.

Market

Xo'jamurod Tursunov leaves for nothing

Contract settled, hands shaken, no fee changing hands. Xo'jamurod Tursunov leaves Qizilqum the quiet way, and the wage bill breathes a little easier.

Market

Sherzod Majidov leaves Qizilqum for nothing

No fee, no negotiation, no argument: Sherzod Majidov moves on to another club with his contract settled and the wage bill a little lighter.

In brief

6 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

7 Sep 2026
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Market

G'iyosjon Rizaqulov asks to leave Qizilqum

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Match

No end in sight to Qizilqum's wait for a win

5 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at Qizilqum has to find a result from somewhere.

Market

Ilhomjon Kenjayev has one foot out of the door

Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Qizilqum they have already started talking about him in the past tense.

Squad

Shahzod Rahmatullayev signs a new deal

“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Shahzod Rahmatullayev commits to Qizilqum for another 4 years.

Boardroom

Wages eat 606% of everything Qizilqum earn

There is a figure at which a wage bill stops being ambitious and becomes the reason nothing else is possible, and this club has reached it. Nothing is left over for a transfer, a stand or a rainy afternoon.

Squad

Shahzod Turopov gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Market

Talks stall between Qizilqum and Shahzod Rahmatullayev

“We are a long way apart, and pretending otherwise helps nobody.” Neither side is close, and the calendar is not on the club's side.

Squad

Ilhomjon Vahobov loses the armband

The captaincy has been taken off Ilhomjon Vahobov. Qizilqum will call it a decision about the team; a dressing room reads it as a verdict on a man.

Market

Experience through the door at Qizilqum

Tunde Micheal arrives at 36 with nothing left to prove and plenty left to pass on. Legs are a young man's currency; knowing where to stand never ages.

In brief

5 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

31 Aug 2026
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Ilhomjon Kenjayev asks to leave Qizilqum

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Match

No end in sight to Qizilqum's wait for a win

4 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at Qizilqum has to find a result from somewhere.

Squad

Grigol Chabradze gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Match

Honours even between Qizilqum and Bukhara

1-1, and both dressing rooms will call it two points lost. A draw that asked plenty of questions and answered none of them.

Squad

The shirt belongs to Asror G'ofurov now

At 31 he has made the position his own, and the man he took it from has to find something to say about it. Qizilqum have a decision that made itself.

Squad

Humoyunshoh Sayyotov asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

In brief

4 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

24 Aug 2026
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Shahzod Turopov asks to leave Qizilqum

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Asror G'ofurov

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Match

Qizilqum and Andijon take a point apiece

It finished 1-1, and it somehow always looked like it would. One of those afternoons where the table moves less than the tempers.

Squad

Oleksiy Shchebetun is off the mark for Qizilqum

The first one is the one every signing is asked about until it arrives. It has arrived, and he can stop being asked.

Squad

Jaba Jighauri has taken the shirt

At 34 he is in the side on merit and somebody else is watching from the bench. Places at Qizilqum are won quietly and lost loudly.

Squad

Shahzod Turopov asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

In brief

3 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

17 Aug 2026
From our football correspondent Steady

Match

The cup run ends for Qizilqum

0-0 against AGMK, and the road stops here. Cup exits are quick deaths — no second leg, no next week, just the league from now until May.

Squad

Farhod Rahmatov decides it from twelve yards

1 kept out in the shoot-out, and a stadium that will still be describing them in twenty years. A goalkeeper only needs one of these to be remembered forever.

Market

Shahzod Rahmatullayev has one foot out of the door

Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Qizilqum they have already started talking about him in the past tense.

Squad

Shohruz Norxonov gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Match

Qizilqum come up short against Pakhtakor

Pakhtakor left with the points after a 0-1 defeat that will take some explaining on the terraces.

Squad

Zulfiqor Akbarov makes his debut at 20

At 20 years old, Zulfiqor Akbarov became the latest name off the academy production line to be handed a senior shirt.

Squad

Somebody is after Shohruz Norxonov’s shirt

A new face in his position, and Shohruz Norxonov suddenly has to win back what he thought he owned. Qizilqum have promised nothing — clubs rarely do at this stage.

Market

The Oleksiy Shchebetun talk will not go away

Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Qizilqum know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.

Market

Qizilqum put Shahzod Turopov up for sale

The list is a quiet document with a loud meaning. Shahzod Turopov may talk to anybody who asks, and everybody at the club understands what that means.

In brief

2 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

10 Aug 2026
From our football correspondent Triumph

Market

Ilhomjon Kenjayev is on his way

The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Qizilqum is pretending he will be back in the shirt.

Squad

Shahzod Rahmatullayev out for 15 days

The medical room confirms 15 days on the sidelines for Shahzod Rahmatullayev, and a plan built around him now has to be rebuilt.

Match

Qizilqum see off Kokand 1912

Three points for Qizilqum, 1-0 the final word against Kokand 1912 in a contest settled by the finer margins.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Ilhomjon Vahobov

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Market

Talks stall between Qizilqum and Shohruz Norxonov

“We are a long way apart, and pretending otherwise helps nobody.” Neither side is close, and the calendar is not on the club's side.

Market

G'iyosjon Rizaqulov is free to find somewhere else

“I was told straight, and I would rather have it straight.” The manager at Qizilqum has been clear about where G'iyosjon Rizaqulov stands, which is more than many ever get.

In brief

1 Edition

The Qizilqum Chronicle

3 Aug 2026
From our football correspondent Triumph

Market

Ilhomjon Kenjayev hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Qizilqum can pretend not to have heard.

Squad

Jaba Jighauri signs a new deal

“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Jaba Jighauri commits to Qizilqum for another 2 years.

Match

Qizilqum get the job done against Lokomotiv

A 1-0 win over Lokomotiv, earned rather than given, and the sort of afternoon that sends everyone home talking about next week instead of this one.

Market

Talks stall between Qizilqum and Jaba Jighauri

“We are a long way apart, and pretending otherwise helps nobody.” Neither side is close, and the calendar is not on the club's side.

Market

Nobody at Qizilqum has picked up the phone to Farhod Rahmatov

49 months to run and not a word offered. A club that lets the calendar negotiate for it usually ends up losing to the calendar.

Market

Shahzod Turopov told to find a new club

“They were honest with me, and I would rather know.” Shahzod Turopov has been informed he is not in the manager's thinking at Qizilqum.

Squad

Shahzod Turopov gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Squad

Shohruz Norxonov finally opens his account

He wheeled away like a man who had been carrying it for months, because he had. Qizilqum have their signing off the mark and one press-conference question retired.

Squad

Shahzod Rahmatullayev asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

In brief