Russian coach Igor Surov appointed head of Tajikistan U-17 national team

Tajikistan's youth national football team has a new leader: 40-year-old Russian specialist Igor Surov. Surov is no stranger to Tajik football, having previously achieved notable results in the country's league. His immediate challenge is to prepare the U-17 team for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Qatar.

Surov takes over from Daler Kayosov, who resigned from the position. The appointment comes just before the team's main tournament of the year, leaving the new coaching staff with limited time for acclimatization, experimentation, and significant restructuring. Surov's coaching team includes Shamsiddin Kosimov, Ja’far Akhmedov, Elchibek Rashidbekov, and Umed Chorshanbiев, who will work with goalkeepers.

Surov's career in Tajikistan began as a player when he moved to CSKA Dushanbe in 2017. During his time with the club, he won a bronze medal in the Tajikistan championship. This marked the end of his playing career abroad, after which he transitioned to coaching.

His coaching journey started in Mongolia, where he led Ulan Bator's "Sumidu" to the top division. After returning to Russia, he coached the futsal club "Alfa." In 2022, Surov returned to Tajik football as the coach of "Eskhata." His tenure with the Khujand-based club was his longest and most significant, culminating in the 2023 season when "Eskhata" secured the bronze medals of the Tajikistan championship, a first in the club's history. This achievement mirrored his success as a player, making him a unique figure in Tajik football for winning a championship medal in two different roles.

“

Eskhata managed to break into