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Matchworn by Igor Shkvyrin during the 1996 AFC Asia Cup
Manufacturer: Adidas
Source: Collector
THE COUNTRY
Fun fact: You’ve probably always pronounced “Uzbekistan” wrong. Contrary to its (English) spelling, the country is actually pronounced “Osbekiston”
(or [ozbek'ˈstɒn], if you’re into the IPA alphabet) as is its capital Tashkent (Toshkent).
The former Soviet republic is the most populous country in Central Asia and alongside Liechtenstein, the only double landlocked country in the world. While its way to the next ocean might be long and weary, Uzbekistan’s road to the AFC Asian Cup has been rather easy for them, as they have managed to qualify every time since the country’s independence.
Their most successful appearance was in 2011, when the team advanced to the semi-finals where they lost 0-6 to Australia.
THE SHIRT
Finally, a shirt whose color perfectly fits the coloring of my website!
This rare gem was worn by striker Igor Shkvyrin during the country’s first participation in the AFC Asian Cup in 1996, where Uzbekistan finished last of their group, only winning against China. The template is reminiscent of Argentina’s 1996 home jersey and features sleeves made out of mesh, which is rather rare for an Adidas shirt. I’m absolutely in love with the color and the spectacularly detailed embroidered badge, which is actually Uzbekistan’s coat of arms, as the team only started using a federation badge a few years later. Like several Asian countries during the 90s, the name and numbers are made from fabric and stitched to the shirt. Finally, the icing on the cake is the sewed on Asian Cup ’96 patch on the right sleeve.
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