After only four rounds of the new domestic season, the Tajik Higher League goes into suspension due to the threat of COVID-19.
In a statement issued on Saturday evening, the TFF confirmed that the preventive measures will be enforced until May 10th at the earliest.
Tajikistan to this point have revelled in being one of the few remaining countries not to have a recorded coronavirus case, however after a week of reports suggesting a curious increase in respiratory deaths across the nation, acceptance that the pandemic has reached their shores was inevitable.
The league’s temporary closure suggests the powers that be are indeed concerned. Tajikistan is one of the poorest Central Asian nations, who struggle for basic medical necessities at the best of times. Clearly any precautions that can be put in place must be exercised at this point.
Tajikistan Higher League
Istiklol - Kuktosh
In what was, for the time being, the final round of Tajik football we’ll see for some time, six time consecutive champions Istiklol recorded yet another heavy victory to retain the championship's top spot on goal difference. Their 6-1 victory at home to Kuktosh, took them up to 17 goals for the season, seven clear of anyone else, yet for much of the match it wasn’t as easy as it would initially seem.
Kuktosh kept the lines tight, restricting Istiklol’s space in behind to counter, ultimately numbing the home side’s primary threat. That said, their are few teams that can restrict Istiklol for long; some magical movement and pass execution from Viktor Svezhov & Alisher Dzhalilov set up Manuchehr Dzhalilov for his 7th of the campaign ahead of halftime.
The second period saw a mirror image of the first, yet much more explosive. Having held out until the hour mark, Kuktosh imploded allowing three goals in ten minutes; substitute Rustam Soirov pouncing on a defensive mixup initially, before Dzhalilov with his second and a mess of an own goal that squirmed passed goalkeeper Kurbonali Boboev.
While Kuktosh clawed back a consolation, two late goals from Soirov sealed his first hat trick for the club since moving in the offseason from Lokomotiv-Pomir. The 17 year old striker who starred for Tajikistan at the U17 World Cup last year, underlines the depth in attacking options Istiklol possess.
Lokomotiv Pamir - Khatlon
While Istiklol flex their muscles, provincial underdogs Khatlon continue to keep pace at the top, only trailing on goal difference. In their third away match on the spin, Khatlon again starred in their attacking proficiency, beating Lokomotiv-Pamir in Dushanbe on Sunday.
A clinical striker’s hat trick from Khatlon forward Khudoidod Uzokov stole the headlines but in truth it was an impressively decisive team performance from the Bokhtar based club, who’s direct passing and link up play continues to be a joy to witness.
The downsides were regrettably the lapses in concentration defensively; Azizbek Hasanov coolly finished from Shahrom Sulaymonov’s through ball for Lokomotiv’s first, before Sulaymonov turned goal scorer for the second.
His stunning long range free kick will no doubt do the rounds on social media in the coming days, but far from a flash in the pan, Sulaymonov is really catching the eye after similarly impressive efforts and performances in the opening weeks of the season.
Elsewhere, Khujand returned to winning form for the first time in three matches, edging out Regar TadAZ 2-1 in Tajikistan’s second city. Previously unfancied Fayzkand defeated bottom of the table Istaravshan 2-1 to become the next unlikely challenger in the league’s top three, having gone undefeated through their first four matches back in the top flight.
The round culminated with a debut victory at this level (and goals for that matter) for newly promoted Dushanbe, edging past CSKA-Pamir 2-1. Khurshed Abdulloev’s brace for Dushanbe saw the visitors drop down into the relegation places ahead of the domestic season break.
Turkmenistan Yokary Liga
While we’ll have to live to be deprived of the Tajik Higher League, the Turkmen Yokary Liga looks to continue unabated as the only Central Asian domestic league left playing, all with spectators in attendance!
While Tajik football has embraced the global limelight, Turkmenistan has instead retreated further into obscurity, offering little in terms of live TV matches even for locals, alongside false reporting of score lines.
The highlight of this round came in Aşgabat as Ahal retained top spot with a 1-0 victory over previous second placed side Kopetdag. Elman Tagayev’s second penalty in as many games, clinched all three points for last season’s runners up, who are still to concede this term, as they stretched their lead at the top to two points.
Last season’s champions Altyn Asyr missed the chance later to move up to second, throwing away a 1-0 lead to draw in Mary with Energetik. In front of a reported 2,000 attendance, flying winger Altimurad Annadurdyev’s fourth goal of the season promised to be the difference until the final minute when Rovshengeldy Halmamedov diverted past his own keeper deep into stoppage time.
Altyn Asyr have now drawn three of their first four matches, clearly a rusty version of the side that has dominated Turkmenistan over the last six years. Elsewhere, Aşgabat rose to second with an emphatic 5-2 victory over Nebitci, and Sagadam edged past Merv to move off the bottom of the Yokary Liga table.
