Abdukodir Khusanov: The rise of Man City’s signing and Uzbekistan football
Kusanov began his football journey at the age of seven when he joined the youth academy of Tashkent club Bunyodkor. He immediately started playing with boys two years older than him, such was his talent and ability on the pitch.
However, at 17, he was deemed insufficiently strong and physical by the club to earn a spot in the third-tier reserves. Kusanov’s father, former Uzbekistan international Khokmat Khoshimov, decided to look for alternatives.
That choice came in the form of Belarusian side Energetik-BGU, a small club from Minsk.
The club convinced Kusanov to join, although he had to wait a year before making his debut. In Belarus, players must be 18 years or older to sign a professional contract.
Once eligible to play, Kusanov’s impact was immediate. Kusanov now plays exclusively as a centre-back, helping Energetik-BGU to an incredible second place finish in the 2022 Belarusian top flight.
While Kusanov’s progress has gone largely unnoticed by domestic fans, his next steps are linked to his exploits with the Uzbekistan national team. After Kusanov was named in the squad for the AFC Under-20 Asian Cup in March 2023, he played every minute to help his team win the historic title.
Uzbekistan thus qualified for the Under-20 World Cup in May 2023, and Lens’ scouting manager Baptiste Favier witnessed him lead the White Wolves to the last 16. In July of that year, Lens signed him for just £84,000.
“When he came to Lens, no one knew him,” said Luke Entwistle, editor-in-chief of Get France Football News. “He was a very unknown figure. He didn’t play a lot in his first season but when he got his chance in the back three you immediately saw something very special in him thing.”
Kusanov has broken down a solid backline of Jonathan Gradit, Kevin Danso and Facundo Medina this season, making 13 appearances in Ligue 1, including 11 starts.
Danso said: “If Kusanov came from the top league, he would be worth 100 million euros.” And former Lens goalkeeper Bliss Samba said: “He shook our defense. He is destined to have A bright future.”
Kusanov is so confident of becoming one of the best players in the world that Lens keeps a jersey signed by him from the game as part of the club’s collection. It’s something that only the greatest players get through the club.
