On December 30, Tajik football suffered an irreplaceable loss. After a long illness, Sharif Nazarov — Honored Coach of the USSR and Tajikistan — passed away at the age of 79. His name is etched in the history of Tajik sports not just for his victories, but for the era he helped create.
Born on February 23, 1946, Nazarov's journey in football was all-encompassing — from player and administrator to a head coach who shaped club strategies and national development.
In the 1960s–70s, he played as a defender for Pakhtakor (Kurgan-Tyube) and Pamir (Dushanbe), but it was in coaching that he achieved legendary status.
Leading Pamir to the Soviet top league
The pinnacle of his club career came in 1988 when Pamir Dushanbe, under his leadership, won the Soviet First League and earned promotion to the USSR Top League. The team won 24 out of 44 matches, scored 78 goals, and collected 59 points — a performance still seen as exemplary.
This success made Pamir a national symbol of Tajik football in the late Soviet era, firmly establishing its place among elite clubs until the USSR’s dissolution.
A match remembered for decades
On October 13, 1990, Pamir stunned Spartak Moscow with a 5–1 victory in Dushanbe. More than 20,000 fans witnessed this historic win. After the match, Napoli coach Ottavio Bianchi reportedly said he couldn’t tell which team was Spartak and which was from Dushanbe — a testament to Nazarov’s tactical brilliance.
A coach who chose to stay home
Though Nazarov received offers from abroad — including from Sudan’s Al-Merrikh via the USSR Sports Committee — he always returned to Tajikistan, believing it was his duty to build football at home.
He led Pamir to the national title in 1992 and Varzob to championships in 1998, 1999, and 2000. He also coached Navbahor (Uzbekistan), Aviator, HIMA, Farrukh, and Regar-TadAZ — often acting as both coach and club manager.
Tajikistan’s first international trophy
In 2006, under Nazarov’s leadership, the Tajik national team won its first-ever international title — the AFC Challenge Cup. The victory proved that Tajik football could succeed beyond its borders.
He managed the national team in several periods (1992–1995, 1999, 2003, 2005–2006) and always approached it as a long-term project focused on development.
Legacy through youth and teaching
In his final years, Nazarov dedicated himself to youth football. He established a football school in Dushanbe bearing his name and worked closely with young players, passing on not just skills but values. For him, football was not a career — it was a way of life.
Notably, he remains the only coach from Central Asia to receive the title of Honored Coach of the USSR (1991) — recognition of his impact on both Tajik and Soviet football.
A Legacy that lives on
Sharif Nazarov was a man of principle — strict, demanding, yet wholly devoted to football and his country. He shaped generations of players and coaches and laid the foundation for the traditions that continue to define Tajik football.
The Asia-Plus team expresses heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of Sharif Nazarov. Though his journey has ended, his legacy lives on — on the fields, in schools, and in the hearts of everyone who believes in Tajik football.
