UFA announces a 23-man squad for AFC U23 Championship Thailand 2020

The selection features six players from their title-winning 2018 squad, and seven who have been capped at senior level, with Khojiakbar Alijonov and Sanjar Kodirkulov part of Vadim Abramov’s most recent Asian Qualifiers squad in November.

Jasurbek Yakhshiboev, Doston Ibragimov, Abrorbek Ismoilov, Sharof Mukhitdinov and Aziz Ganiev are the other senior internationals, with Mukhitdinov and Ganiev two of the 10 players from FC Nasaf to have been selected.

Nasaf, who finished seventh in the 2019 Uzbekistan Super League, are the chief provider of talent for Drulovic’s squad, which only features players based in the domestic competition.

Goalkeeper Abduvakhid Nematov, 18, is the youngest player and only teenager, to have received a call-up, after 17-year-old FC Bunyodkor prodigy Jasur Jaloliddinov was overlooked.

Uzbekistan’s decided squad comes following a successful pre-tournament camp in the United Arab Emirates, where they earned 4-2 and 3-1 friendly wins over fellow Thailand 2020 participants Iraq, as well as a 4-0 success against local club al Arabi.

The AFC U23 Championship Thailand 2020 begins on January 8, with the top three sides to qualify for the men’s football tournament at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Uzbekistan are yet to appear on the Olympic football stage despite becoming Asian U23 champions with a memorable win over Vietnam in the final of the 2018 tournament in China PR.

The Central Asian nation will begin their 2020 campaign against Islamic Republic of Iran in Songkhla on January 9, with matches against China PR and Korea Republic to follow in an intriguing Group C.