2020 Tajikistan Higher League

The 2020 Ligai Olii Tojikiston (Tajik: 2020 Лигаи Олии Тоҷикистон, Russian: 2020 Высшая Лига Таджикистана), or 2020 Tajikistan Higher League is the 29th season of Ligai Olii Tojikiston, Tajikistan's top division of association football. The season began on 5 April 2020.^[1]

Ligai Olii Tojikiston

Season	2020
Dates	5 April – 4 October
Champions	Istiklol
Relegated	Lokomotiv-Pamir Regar-TadAZ
AFC Champions League	Istiklol
Matches played	90
Goals scored	278 (3.09 per match)
Top goalscorer	Ilhomjon Barotov (18 goals)
Biggest home win	Istiklol 8–0 Istaravshan (20 June 2020)
Biggest away win	Regar-TadAZ 1–6 Istiklol (16 June 2020)
Highest scoring	Istiklol 8–0 Istaravshan (20 June 2020)
Longest winning run	11 matches Istiklol
Longest unbeaten run	15 matches Istiklol
Longest winless run	6 matches Istaravshan
Longest losing run	6 matches Istaravshan
← 2019 2021 → All statistics correct as of 4 October 2020.

Season events

On 27 March, the Tajikistan Football Federation announced that the opening round of games would be played behind closed doors due to the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic.^[2]

On 25 April, the Tajikistan Football Federation announced the suspension of football, following the completion of Round 4 on 26 April, until 10 May.^[3]

On 6 May, the Tajikistan Football Federation extended the suspension of football indefinitely due to the spread of COVID-19 pandemic in Tajikistan.^[4]

On 8 June, the Tajikistan Football Federation announced that the season would resume on 16 June, with the games continuing to be played without spectators.^[5]

Teams

On 20 March 2020, the Tajikistan Football Federation announced that the season would involve ten teams, with there being 27 matches in three rounds. The teams consist of CSKA Pamir, Istiklol, Istaravshan, Khatlon, Khujand, Kuktosh, Regar-TadAZ and newly promoted Dushanbe-83, Fayzkand and Lokomotiv-Pamir.^[1]

Istaravshan

Khatlon

Khujand

Kuktosh

Fayzkand

Regar-TadAZ

Dushanbe

Dushanbe teams
CSKA
Dushanbe-83
Istiklol
Lokomotiv-Pamir

Locations of teams in the 2020 Tajikistan Higher League

Team	Location	Venue	Capacity
CSKA Pamir	Dushanbe	CSKA Stadium	7,000
Dushanbe-83	Dushanbe
Fayzkand	Hulbuk	Markazii Kulob Stadium
Istaravshan	Istaravshan	Istaravshan Sports Complex	20,000
Istiklol	Dushanbe	Markazii Tojikiston Stadium	24,000
Khatlon	Bokhtar	Markazii Bokhtar Stadium	10,000
Khujand	Khujand	Bistsolagii Istiqloliyati Stadium	20,000
Kuktosh Rudaki	Rudaki District	Rudaki Stadium
Lokomotiv-Pamir	Dushanbe	Lokomotiv Stadium
Regar-TadAZ	Tursunzoda	TALCO Arena	20,000

Personnel and sponsoring

Team	Manager	Captain	Kit manufacturer	Sponsor
CSKA Pamir Dushanbe	Serhiy Zhytskyi	Artem Haydash	Joma	1Xbet
Dushanbe-83	Nazirsho Rizomov		Adidas	-
Fayzkand	Tokhirjon Muminov	Mahmadali Sadikov	Adidas	-
Istaravshan	Alier Ashurmamadov		Joma
Istiklol	Vitaliy Levchenko	Alisher Dzhalilov	Joma	Siyoma
Khatlon	Asliddin Khabibullaev	Umarjon Sharipov	Joma
Khujand	Khakim Fuzailov	Komroni Mirzonazhod	Joma	Samsung HD TV
Kuktosh Rudaki	Makhmadjon Khabibulloev		Joma
Lokomotiv-Pamir	Mubin Ergashev	Emomali Ahmadhon	Joma	Parimatch
Regar-TadAZ	Uktam Sattorov		Joma	TALCO

Foreign players

Each Tajikistan Higher League club is permitted to register six foreign players, with four allowed on the pitch at the same time.^[6]

Club	Player 1	Player 2	Player 3	Player 4	Player 5	Player 6	Former Players
CSKA Pamir Dushanbe[7]	Dmytro Bondar	Artem Gaydash	Ivan Ponomarenko	Nodirbek Ibragimov
Dushanbe-83[8]	Yavis Noah Parfat	Colins Adukhen	Idris Aminu	Agbley Jones	Emmanuel Kudiabor	Azian Joseph Adolph	Sadiq Musa Silvanus Evans Elijah Ari
Fayzkand[9]	Joseph Feumba	Dilshodzhon Baratov	Abbos Ikromov	Jasur Kurbonov	Anvar Murodov	Azizdzhon Zaripov	Jasur Ashurov
Istaravshan[10]	Zufardjon Akbaraliev	Saiddoston Fozilov	Shakhzod Shamsiddinov	Tulkinjon Umarov			Joseph Feumba Mbeke Siebatcheu
Istiklol[11]	Viktor Svezhov	Marko Milić	Wahyt Orazsähedow	Oleksiy Larin
Khatlon[12]	Tony Bikatal	Jen Gaten	Alassa Mfuapon	Quaye Godson
Khujand[13]	Mamur Ikramov	Siroj Khamrayev	Sanjar Rixsiboev	Amirjon Safarov			Andrey Sidorov
Kuktosh Rudaki[14]	Prince Arthur	Benjamin Asamoa	Ishmael Klotey	Muhiddin Odilov	Bunyod Shodiev	Mbeke Siebatcheu	Erfan Moradnezhadi Abbos Ikromov
Lokomotiv-Pamir[15]	Radin Sayyar						Benjamin Asamoa Avuku Kaleb Oduro
Regar-TadAZ[16]	Arash Akbari						Sardorbek Eminov Jalil Kimsanov Farrukh Nurliboev

In bold: Players that have been capped for their national team.

Managerial changes

Team	Outgoing manager	Manner of departure	Date of vacancy	Position in table	Incoming manager	Date of appointment
Khujand	Vitaliy Levchenko	End of Contract		Pre-Season	Nikola Lazarevic	21 December 2019[17]
Istiklol	Alisher Tukhtaev (Caretaker)		31 December 2019		Mubin Ergashev
Istiklol	Mubin Ergashev		17 February 2020		Vitaliy Levchenko	17 February 2020[18]
Fayzkand					Tokhirjon Muminov	24 March 2020[19]
Kuktosh Rudaki	Rahmatullo Fuzailov	Resigned	7 July 2020[20]	7th	Makhmadjon Khabibulloev	7 July 2020[20]
Khujand	Nikola Lazarevic		12 July 2020[21]	2nd	Khakim Fuzailov	12 July 2020[21]

League table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
1	Istiklol (C)	18	14	3	1	61	11	+50	45	Qualification for AFC Champions League group stage
2	Khujand	18	11	2	5	30	23	+7	35	Qualification for AFC Cup group stage
3	CSKA Pamir	18	8	5	5	29	25	+4	29
4	Kuktosh	18	7	7	4	30	24	+6	28
5	Khatlon	18	6	8	4	27	24	+3	26
6	Dushanbe-83	18	5	5	8	20	29	−9	20
7	Fayzkand	18	4	7	7	17	31	−14	19
8	Istaravshan	18	4	5	9	29	38	−9	17
9	Lokomotiv-Pamir (R)	18	3	5	10	14	26	−12	14	Relegation to Tajik First Division
10	Regar-TadAZ (R)	18	3	3	12	21	47	−26	12

Updated to match(es) played on 4 October 2020. Source: FFT
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Head-to-head goals scored; 5) Goal difference; 6) Goals scored.
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated

Fixtures and results

Rounds 1–18

Home \ Away	CPD	D83	FAY	ISA	IST	KHA	KJD	KUK	LOK	RZD
CSKA Pamir	—	3–1	1–1	1–1	1–0	2–1	1–3	1–5	3–1	3–1
Dushanbe-83	2–1	—	0–0	3–3	1–2	1–1	1–2	2–1	1–0	3–0
Fayzkand	1–1	1–1	—	2–1	0–4	2–1	0–3	0–0	1–0	3–2
Istaravshan	1–2	2–0	5–2	—	1–2	1–1	1–2	0–3	2–0	4–0
Istiklol	2–0	7–0	3–0	8–0	—	2–2	4–0	6–1	1–0	6–1
Khatlon	0–0	1–0	1–1	2–1	1–1	—	2–3	2–1	0–0	4–2
Khujand	1–2	1–0	2–0	2–1	1–3	2–3	—	1–2	0–0	2–1
Kuktosh	0–0	2–2	3–1	2–2	1–1	2–1	1–1	—	1–0	0–0
Lokomotiv-Pamir	3–2	1–0	2–2	2–2	0–3	2–3	0–2	2–1	—	1–2
Regar-TadAZ	1–5	1–2	1–0	4–1	1–6	1–1	1–2	2–4	0–0	—

Updated to match(es) played on 4 October 2020. Source: Soccerway
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Season statistics

Scoring

• First goal of the season: Ilhomjon Barotov for Istaravshan against Khatlon (5 April 2020)

Top scorers

As of match played 4 October 2020^[22]

Rank	Player	Club	Goals
1	Ilhomjon Barotov	Istaravshan	18
2	Manuchekhr Dzhalilov	Istiklol	16
3	Alisher Dzhalilov	Istiklol	12
4	Sheriddin Boboev	Istiklol	10
5	Rustam Soirov	Istiklol	8
	Dilshod Bozorov	Khujand
7	Shodibek Gafforov	CSKA Pamir Dushanbe	7
	Shervoni Mabatshoev	CSKA Pamir Dushanbe
	Parviz Baki-Akhunov	Khatlon
10	Elchibek Rashidbekov	Dushanbe-83	6

Hat-tricks

Player	For	Against	Result	Date	Ref
Manuchekhr Dzhalilov	Istiklol	Dushanbe-83	7-0 (A)	8 April 2020	[23]
Rustam Soirov	Istiklol	Kuktosh	6-1 (H)	25 April 2020	[24]
Khudoidod Uzokov	Khatlon	Lokomotiv-Pamir	3-2 (A)	26 April 2020	[25]
Sheriddin Boboev4	Istiklol	Regar-TadAZ	6-1 (H)	8 September 2020	[26]
Ilhomjon Barotov5	Istaravshan	Fayzkand	5-2 (H)	29 September 2020	[27]

• ⁴ Player scored 4 goals
• ⁵ Player scored 5 goals