“Esteghlal” featuring Uzbek legionnaires achieves important away victory

13 October 2026, 06:35·39·Sport

The next matches of the 2nd round in the AFC Champions League Elite West Region have come to an end. In the games held on October 12, Iran's “Esteghlal” club, where members of the Uzbekistan national team Jaloliddin Masharipov and Rustam Ashurmatov play, defeated Qatar's “Al Gharafa” away.

In another match held simultaneously, UAE's “Al Ain” club secured a landslide victory in Iraq and continued its leadership.

Uzbekistan citizens in the starting lineup: “Esteghlal”'s success in Doha

The Iranian grand returned from its away trip to Qatar with three crucial points:

Our legionnaires on the pitch: Rustam Ashurmatov and Jaloliddin Masharipov started the match in the main lineup from the first minutes. While Ashurmatov performed solidly in the defensive line, Masharipov was substituted in the 53rd minute;
Goals and the match flow: In the 37th minute, Asani put “Esteghlal” ahead, while the hosts' Sassi restored balance in the 48th minute. However, a goal scored by Goudarzi in the 60th minute gave the Tehran club an important 1:2 victory;
100 percent result: Having gathered 6 points after two rounds, “Esteghlal” occupies the 2nd place in the standings. “Al Gharafa”, which has yet to score any points, remains in the 13th position.

“Al Ain” crushed its opponent in Iraq

One of the UAE's prominent teams, “Al Ain”, demonstrated its hegemony in the tournament by scoring four unanswered goals against Iraq's “Air Force” away:

First-half capitulation: “Al Ain” decided the fate of the match within the first 45 minutes. Kaku (13), Ar Rosan's own goal (18), and H. Rahimi's brace (23, 44) made the scoreline a landslide;
Consolation goal: The Iraqi club managed to narrow the gap only in the 89th minute thanks to Javad's goal — 1:4;
Standings: With 6 points and the best goal difference, “Al Ain” became the leader of the West Region. “Air Force”, remaining without points, dropped to the 16th place.

Foreign clubs featuring Uzbek football players in the AFC Champions League Elite continue to play an important role in the race for continental leadership.