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Matchworn or Matchprepared Artur Yunusov (Futsal player) (game unknown)
Manufacturer: Joma
Source: eBay
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
For unknown reasons, Uzbek players love to sign football shirts. This is already the second signed Uzbekistan shirt in my possession that has been defaced by black sharpie, and I’ve seen plenty more in other collections.
The shirt is actually not a football shirt, but a futsal shirt, which doesn’t really make a difference in this case, as it’s absolutely identical to what the national football team wore at the time.
While it’s certainly not the greatest design, it’s pretty spectacular by Uzbek standards, as the team has been wearing the world’s most boring designs for years.
Made by Spanish manufacturer “Joma”, it features an embroidered federation badge, traditional Uzbek patterns and some ugly black scribblings – oh yeah, those are the signatures…
I can’t really tell if the shirt was actually worn in a match, as the hall floor doesn’t really leave any stains on the shirt, but the sublimated name and numbers, as well the whole squad signing the shirt, suggest that it was at least prepared for a match or tournament.
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